🔗 Share this article Afghan Rulers Employed Left-Behind UK Equipment to Find Afghans Who Worked With Allied Troops, Inquiry Hears A whistleblower has told the Afghan leak inquiry that the UK abandoned confidential devices enabling the Taliban to identify local individuals who collaborated with western forces. Information Leak Puts Numerous at Risk The whistleblower, called Person A, stated that Afghans affected by the data leak were advised to move homes and switch their mobile numbers to avoid detection from the ruling authorities. Members of Parliament are looking into the UK government's handling of a massive disclosure of private information concerning nearly 19,000 Afghans who had applied to relocate to the United Kingdom to escape the Taliban. How the Leak Was Discovered A spreadsheet containing private information, such as identities, addresses and in some cases family information, was inadvertently disclosed by a worker working at special operations center in February 2022. The leak came to light months later, when details of multiple applicants who had sought to relocate to Britain surfaced on Facebook. Regime's Resources Many believe there's a misunderstanding that the Taliban do not have similar capabilities that allied forces use,” the whistleblower testified to the committee. Technology was deserted in Afghanistan; it's in their hands. Once they acquire mobile details, they can trace you down to within metres. This is exactly how specialized teams accomplished.” During testimony about whether the Taliban owned advanced decryption, the whistleblower stated: “They have complete capability.” Consequences of the Information Leak Preliminary research provided to the investigation estimated that approximately fifty family members and associates of individuals impacted by the incident had been executed. A legal restriction concerning the breach was implemented in late 2023 and prevented all details about it from public disclosure until mid-2025. Security Recommendations Because she was restricted, the whistleblower and the aid group associated with informed individuals at risk they were working with that they had “concerns that mobile communications had been breached”. “We advised that they relocate if they could and switched their contact details. That constituted the two main details that, if the Taliban obtained such data, would result in identification and capture,” she said. Disputed Conclusions Person A contested that internal investigation conducted by an ex-government employee had been mistaken to state that the possession of the dataset by militant forces was “minimally impact present danger”. “The crucial point is that these individuals are in hiding from militant forces; they are in hiding. All concerns relate to their previous employment.” The source explained horrific violence experienced by at-risk Afghans, involving electrocution, waterboarding, and physical abuse. “We have had four-year-old children who have had limbs fractured to force the family to say where someone is,” the whistleblower revealed.