Afghan Rulers Used Left-Behind British Equipment to Locate Local Nationals That Served With Western Troops, Inquiry Learns
An informant has disclosed a parliamentary probe that the UK failed to secure classified equipment permitting the militant group to identify local individuals that had served with international military.
Information Leak Endangers Thousands at Risk
The whistleblower, identified as Person A, testified that people concerned by the security lapse were told to relocate and switch their mobile numbers to protect themselves from the Taliban.
Lawmakers are investigating the UK government's handling of a catastrophic disclosure of personal details affecting nearly 19,000 individuals who had applied to come to the United Kingdom to escape the Taliban.
How the Leak Was Discovered
A spreadsheet with private information, comprising identities, addresses and occasionally household data, was inadvertently disclosed by a worker employed at special operations center in early 2022.
The leak came to light months later, when the names of several individuals who had applied to settle in Britain were posted on Facebook.
Regime's Resources
It appears there is a false assumption that Afghan rulers lack comparable resources that allied forces use,” she told MPs.
Technology was deserted in Afghanistan; they possess it. Should they obtain a contact number, they can trace your precise location. That is what the unit did.”
When questioned about whether the Taliban possessed sophisticated technology, Person A stated: “They possess all resources.”
Aftermath of the Security Lapse
Early investigations provided to the committee indicated that no fewer than forty-nine relatives and colleagues of people concerned by the incident had been executed.
A gag order concerning the breach was implemented in late 2023 and prevented all details concerning it from media reporting until July 2025.
Protective Actions
Due to legal constraints, the source and the non-governmental organization she was working with informed affected households they were supporting that they had “suspicions that mobile communications had been breached”.
“Our suggestion was that they change residence if they could and switched their phone numbers. Those were the crucial data that, if the Taliban acquired this information, would lead to identification and capture,” Person A explained.
Challenged Assessments
The whistleblower argued that an official review conducted by an ex-government employee had been mistaken to state that the obtaining of the records by the regime was “minimally impact current risk levels”.
“The crucial point is that these Afghans are not confronting militant forces; they remain concealed. Everything boils down to former occupations.”
Person A described terrible abuse experienced by concerned people, comprising electric shock torture, waterboarding, and physical abuse.
“We have had four-year-old children who have had their arms broken to force households to reveal locations,” the whistleblower revealed.
