Taliban Employed Discarded British Technology to Locate Local Nationals Who Worked Alongside Western Troops, Investigation Is Told
A confidential source has told a parliamentary probe that British authorities abandoned classified equipment enabling the Taliban to identify Afghans that had served with international military.
Information Leak Puts Thousands in Danger
Person A, known as Person A, explained that individuals impacted by the security lapse were advised to relocate and change their contact details to ensure their safety from the ruling authorities.
Members of Parliament are currently examining the Conservative government's management of a catastrophic disclosure of private information concerning approximately 19k individuals who had applied to come to Britain to avoid the Taliban.
The Information Breach Was Discovered
A data file with private information, comprising identities, contact details and occasionally family information, was accidentally leaked by an official employed at British military command in early 2022.
The breach came to light months later, when identities of nine people who had applied to settle in Britain appeared on online platforms.
Taliban Capabilities
It appears there is a misunderstanding that the Taliban lack comparable resources that western nations possess,” Person A informed MPs.
Technology was deserted in Afghanistan; they possess it. Once they acquire your phone number, they can locate your precise location. That's precisely what the unit achieved.”
When questioned about if militant forces owned advanced decryption, the whistleblower confirmed: “They have complete capability.”
Aftermath of the Security Lapse
Initial findings submitted to the committee suggested that at least 49 relatives and associates of Afghans affected by the leak had been murdered.
A superinjunction concerning the leak was implemented in August 2023 and blocked relevant facts regarding the matter from media reporting until mid-2025.
Safety Measures
Because she was restricted, Person A and the aid group she collaborated with informed individuals at risk they were working with that they had “suspicions that certain devices had been breached”.
“Our suggestion was that they change residence if they could and altered their contact details. That constituted the primary information that, if authorities acquired this information, would cause their location being found,” the source testified.
Challenged Assessments
The source disputed that government assessment carried out by an ex-government employee had been wrong to conclude that the obtaining of the records by the Taliban was “not significantly alter current risk levels”.
“The crucial point is that these individuals are not standing up to the Taliban; they remain concealed. All concerns relate to their previous employment.”
Person A described disturbing treatment suffered by concerned people, comprising electrocution, simulated drowning, and physical abuse.
“There are cases of toddlers who have had their arms broken to pressure the family to reveal locations,” the whistleblower revealed.
