Taliban Used Discarded British Technology to Find Afghans That Served With Allied Forces, Investigation Is Told
A whistleblower has told an official investigation that the UK failed to secure confidential equipment permitting the militant group to identify local individuals who worked with international military.
Data Breach Puts Numerous in Danger
The source, known as Person A, stated that Afghans affected by the security lapse were told to move homes and alter their phone numbers to protect themselves from militant forces.
Members of Parliament are currently examining the UK government's management of a massive leak of personal details affecting approximately 19k individuals who had asked to relocate to Britain to flee the regime.
The Information Breach Occurred
An electronic document containing their personal data, including identities, contact details and occasionally relative details, was accidentally leaked by an official employed at UK special forces headquarters in early 2022.
The breach became known in late 2023, when identities of several individuals who had sought to relocate to the UK were posted on social media.
Taliban Capabilities
“There seems to be this misconception that the Taliban lack comparable resources that we have,” she told the committee.
“We left it all behind in Afghanistan; it's in their hands. Should they obtain your phone number, they can trace your exact position. That's precisely what the unit achieved.”
During testimony about regarding if authorities had access to sophisticated technology, Person A declared: “They possess all resources.”
Aftermath of the Security Lapse
Initial findings submitted to the committee indicated that at least 49 kin and associates of individuals impacted by the leak had been killed.
A legal restriction about the breach was enacted in August 2023 and prevented any information regarding the matter from public disclosure until July 2025.
Security Recommendations
Due to legal constraints, the source and the volunteer organization she collaborated with told affected households they were supporting that they had “apprehensions that somebody's phone had been breached”.
“We recommended that they moved when possible and changed their mobile numbers. Those were the crucial data that, if authorities obtained such data, would lead to identification and capture,” she said.
Challenged Assessments
Person A contested that government assessment performed by a former official had been wrong to conclude that the acquisition of the records by the Taliban was “not significantly alter an individual's existing exposure”.
“The crucial point is that these individuals are not standing up to the authorities; they live secretly. The primary issue involves past work history.”
She detailed horrific treatment experienced by concerned people, comprising electric shock torture, interrogation techniques, and severe beatings.
“We have had four-year-old children who have had their arms broken to try to get relatives to disclose hiding places,” the whistleblower revealed.