Afghan Rulers Utilized Abandoned UK Gear to Track Down Local Nationals Who Worked Alongside Western Troops, Inquiry Is Told

A confidential source has disclosed an official investigation that the UK abandoned confidential technology enabling the Taliban to identify Afghans that had served with allied troops.

Data Breach Puts Thousands at Risk

The source, called Person A, stated that people concerned by the security lapse were told to move homes and alter their mobile numbers to protect themselves from the Taliban.

Lawmakers are investigating official handling of a massive leak of confidential data involving almost nineteen thousand individuals who had asked to move to the United Kingdom to flee militant rule.

How the Leak Occurred

A spreadsheet with confidential details, such as identities, phone numbers and sometimes family information, was accidentally leaked by an official employed at UK special forces headquarters in last year.

The leak was discovered only in August 2023, when identities of multiple applicants who had requested to settle in the UK appeared on social media.

Regime's Resources

Many believe there's a false assumption that the Taliban lack comparable resources that allied forces use,” Person A informed lawmakers.

All equipment was abandoned in Afghanistan; they have it. Once they acquire mobile details, they are able to track you down to within metres. This is exactly how specialized teams did.”

During testimony about whether the Taliban owned advanced decryption, the whistleblower stated: “They possess all resources.”

Aftermath of the Security Lapse

Early investigations provided to the investigation estimated that approximately fifty family members and associates of Afghans affected by the breach had been executed.

A gag order concerning the breach was implemented in late 2023 and prevented relevant facts regarding the matter from public disclosure until July 2025.

Safety Measures

Due to legal constraints, the source and the volunteer organization she collaborated with informed Afghan families they were working with that they had “concerns that somebody's phone had been compromised”.

“Our suggestion was that they moved if they could and switched their phone numbers. Those were the two main details that, if the Taliban acquired this information, would cause their location being found,” she said.

Contested Findings

Person A argued that internal investigation carried out by a former official had been wrong to determine that the acquisition of the dataset by the regime was “unlikely to substantially change current risk levels”.

“The crucial point is that affected people are in hiding from the authorities; they live secretly. All concerns relate to their previous employment.”

She detailed terrible treatment experienced by at-risk Afghans, comprising electrocution, waterboarding, and physical abuse.

“Instances include toddlers who have had their arms broken to force relatives to reveal locations,” she testified.