Afghan Rulers Used Abandoned UK Gear to Locate Local Nationals Who Worked With Western Troops, Investigation Is Told
An informant has disclosed a parliamentary probe that the UK abandoned sensitive technology permitting the militant group to track down Afghans who collaborated with allied troops.
Data Breach Endangers Numerous at Risk
The source, called Person A, testified that people concerned by the information breach were advised to move homes and alter their contact details to protect themselves from the Taliban.
Members of Parliament are investigating the Conservative government's response of a massive breach of private information affecting approximately 19k Afghans who had applied to relocate to the UK to escape the Taliban.
How the Leak Was Discovered
A spreadsheet including private information, comprising identities, phone numbers and sometimes family information, was mistakenly released by a staff member working at special operations center in last year.
The breach was discovered in late 2023, when identities of nine people who had applied to move to Britain appeared on social media.
Militant Technology
Many believe there's a false assumption that Afghan rulers do not have similar capabilities that allied forces use,” Person A informed MPs.
Technology was deserted in Afghanistan; they possess it. If they have a contact number, they can trace your exact position. This is exactly how intelligence groups achieved.”
During testimony about regarding if authorities owned necessary encryption, Person A declared: “They possess all resources.”
Impact of the Data Breach
Early investigations submitted to the investigation suggested that no fewer than forty-nine family members and associates of individuals impacted by the breach had been executed.
A gag order regarding the incident was enacted in late 2023 and restricted any information regarding the matter from media reporting until mid-2025.
Safety Measures
Because she was restricted, Person A and the aid group associated with told individuals at risk they were working with that they had “suspicions that mobile communications had been intercepted”.
“Our suggestion was that they moved when possible and changed their mobile numbers. Those were the primary information that, should militant forces had access to this information, would lead to their location being found,” Person A explained.
Disputed Conclusions
Person A contested that an official review carried out by an ex-government employee had been mistaken to state that the obtaining of the dataset by the regime was “minimally impact an individual's existing exposure”.
“The crucial point is that these Afghans are in hiding from militant forces; they live secretly. Everything boils down to their previous employment.”
The source explained horrific treatment suffered by at-risk Afghans, including electrocution, interrogation techniques, and violent assaults.
“We have had toddlers who have had their arms broken to try to get the family to reveal locations,” the whistleblower revealed.
