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An informant has told the Afghan leak inquiry that the UK abandoned classified devices allowing the militant group to locate local individuals who collaborated with western forces.

Data Breach Endangers Thousands in Danger

The whistleblower, known as Person A, stated that people concerned by the information breach were told to change residences and change their contact details to avoid detection from the Taliban.

Members of Parliament are investigating the UK government's response of a catastrophic disclosure of personal details concerning nearly 19,000 Afghans who had applied to move to Britain to escape militant rule.

How the Leak Was Discovered

A spreadsheet containing confidential details, including identities, addresses and occasionally relative details, was accidentally leaked by an official stationed at special operations center in early 2022.

The breach became known only in August 2023, when the names of nine people who had sought to relocate to Britain surfaced on Facebook.

Militant Technology

Many believe there's a misunderstanding that the Taliban are without similar capabilities that we have,” she told the committee.

All equipment was abandoned in Afghanistan; it's in their hands. Once they acquire a contact number, they are able to track your precise location. That's precisely what specialized teams did.”

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

Consequences of the Data Breach

Early investigations provided to the inquiry estimated that approximately fifty relatives and co-workers of people concerned by the breach had been killed.

A legal restriction about the incident was implemented in late 2023 and restricted relevant facts regarding the matter from being made public until mid-2025.

Security Recommendations

Due to legal constraints, the source and the non-governmental organization associated with told Afghan families they were supporting that they had “concerns that somebody's phone had been breached”.

“We advised that they change residence where feasible and switched their mobile numbers. That constituted the primary information that, if authorities obtained this information, would lead to them being traced,” she said.

Disputed Conclusions

Person A disputed that government assessment conducted by a retired civil servant had been mistaken to conclude that the obtaining of the records by militant forces was “unlikely to substantially change current risk levels”.

“The crucial point is that affected people are not standing up to the Taliban; they live secretly. Everything boils down to former occupations.”

The source explained terrible abuse experienced by affected individuals, involving electric shock torture, interrogation techniques, and severe beatings.

“We have had young kids who have had bones crushed to try to get the family to reveal locations,” the whistleblower revealed.