Taliban Utilized Left-Behind British Equipment to Track Down Afghans That Served With Western Forces, Investigation Learns

An informant has told the Afghan leak inquiry that the UK failed to secure confidential technology enabling the militant group to locate Afghans who collaborated with allied troops.

Information Leak Puts Numerous at Risk

Person A, identified as Person A, stated that Afghans affected by the information breach were instructed to relocate and change their mobile numbers to ensure their safety from the Taliban.

Lawmakers are currently examining the UK government's management of a serious disclosure of private information concerning almost nineteen thousand Afghans who had requested to come to Britain to escape the Taliban.

How the Leak Happened

A data file containing their personal data, such as names, contact details and occasionally relative details, was mistakenly released by a staff member stationed at UK special forces headquarters in early 2022.

The incident came to light in late 2023, when the names of multiple applicants who had sought to move to the UK surfaced on social media.

Regime's Resources

It appears there is this misconception that militant forces are without the same sort of facilities that we have,” she told lawmakers.

Technology was deserted in Afghanistan; it's in their hands. If they have a contact number, they can trace you down to within metres. That's precisely what the unit achieved.”

When questioned about whether the Taliban had access to advanced decryption, the whistleblower confirmed: “They've got everything.”

Consequences of the Data Breach

Early investigations provided to the inquiry suggested that at least 49 family members and associates of Afghans affected by the leak had been executed.

A gag order concerning the breach was put in force in last year and blocked all details about it from public disclosure until July 2025.

Protective Actions

Given injunction limitations, Person A and the non-governmental organization associated with advised Afghan families they were supporting that they had “apprehensions that somebody's phone had been breached”.

“Our suggestion was that they change residence if they could and changed their contact details. That constituted the two main details that, should militant forces acquired such data, would lead to their location being found,” the source testified.

Disputed Conclusions

The whistleblower contested that an official review conducted by a former official had been incorrect to conclude that the obtaining of the dataset by the regime was “not significantly alter present danger”.

“The crucial point is that these Afghans are in hiding from the Taliban; they remain concealed. Everything boils down to former occupations.”

The source explained horrific abuse suffered by affected individuals, involving electric shock torture, interrogation techniques, and violent assaults.

“There are cases of four-year-old children who have had limbs fractured to force households to reveal locations,” she testified.