Taliban Utilized Left-Behind British Technology to Locate Afghans That Served With Western Troops, Investigation Learns
A confidential source has revealed the Afghan leak inquiry that the UK failed to secure sensitive equipment enabling the Taliban to locate Afghans who worked with allied troops.
Data Breach Endangers Thousands in Danger
The whistleblower, identified as Person A, explained that Afghans affected by the information breach were advised to change residences and switch their contact details to ensure their safety from militant forces.
Members of Parliament are looking into official handling of a massive breach of confidential data affecting approximately 19k individuals who had asked to come to Britain to escape militant rule.
Data Disclosure Happened
An electronic document with private information, comprising names, addresses and occasionally family information, was mistakenly released by an official stationed at UK special forces headquarters in early 2022.
The incident came to light only in August 2023, when identities of several individuals who had applied to move to Britain appeared on online platforms.
Regime's Resources
It appears there is this misconception that the Taliban are without comparable resources that allied forces use,” Person A informed MPs.
All equipment was abandoned in Afghanistan; it's in their hands. If they have a contact number, they can trace your exact position. That is what intelligence groups did.”
During testimony about whether the Taliban owned sophisticated technology, the source confirmed: “They've got everything.”
Aftermath of the Data Breach
Early investigations provided to the investigation suggested that approximately fifty relatives and colleagues of individuals impacted by the incident had been murdered.
A legal restriction regarding the leak was enacted in last year and restricted all details regarding the matter from public disclosure until mid-2025.
Safety Measures
Given injunction limitations, the source and the non-governmental organization she was working with advised affected households they were supporting that they had “apprehensions that certain devices had been intercepted”.
“We advised that they moved when possible and switched their mobile numbers. These represented the primary information that, if the Taliban had access to these details, would cause their location being found,” the source testified.
Disputed Conclusions
Person A argued that an official review carried out by an ex-government employee had been wrong to determine that the obtaining of the information by the Taliban was “unlikely to substantially change present danger”.
“The important fact is that affected people are in hiding from the Taliban; they live secretly. Everything boils down to their previous employment.”
She detailed disturbing treatment suffered by concerned people, comprising electrocution, waterboarding, and physical abuse.
“Instances include toddlers who have had limbs fractured to force the family to reveal locations,” the whistleblower revealed.