Taliban Used Abandoned British Equipment to Find Afghans That Served With Western Forces, Inquiry Hears

A whistleblower has told a parliamentary probe that British authorities failed to secure confidential devices allowing the Taliban to locate local individuals who worked with international military.

Data Breach Endangers Thousands at Risk

Person A, called Person A, testified that people concerned by the data leak were told to move homes and alter their phone numbers to protect themselves from the Taliban.

Lawmakers are currently examining official management of a serious disclosure of personal details concerning approximately 19k Afghans who had requested to relocate to Britain to escape the regime.

How the Leak Was Discovered

An electronic document including private information, comprising identities, contact details and in some cases relative details, was inadvertently disclosed by a worker stationed at UK special forces headquarters in last year.

The incident became known only in August 2023, when details of several individuals who had applied to settle in the UK appeared on social media.

Regime's Resources

It appears there is this misconception that the Taliban lack the same sort of facilities that western nations possess,” Person A informed lawmakers.

“We left it all behind in Afghanistan; they have it. Once they acquire a contact number, they can trace you down to within metres. This is exactly how intelligence groups achieved.”

During testimony about whether the Taliban possessed sophisticated technology, the whistleblower declared: “They possess all resources.”

Impact of the Data Breach

Preliminary research provided to the inquiry indicated that approximately fifty family members and associates of individuals impacted by the leak had been murdered.

A gag order about the leak was implemented in August 2023 and prevented relevant facts about it from being made public until July 2025.

Protective Actions

Because she was restricted, the source and the aid group associated with informed Afghan families they were supporting that they had “suspicions that certain devices had been intercepted”.

“We advised that they change residence where feasible and switched their contact details. These represented the primary information that, if authorities acquired such data, would lead to their location being found,” she said.

Contested Findings

The source contested that an official review performed by a former official had been mistaken to state that the possession of the information by militant forces was “not significantly alter an individual's existing exposure”.

“The important fact is that affected people are not standing up to militant forces; they live secretly. All concerns relate to former occupations.”

Person A described horrific violence suffered by at-risk Afghans, comprising electrocution, simulated drowning, and physical abuse.

“Instances include young kids who have had their arms broken to pressure the family to reveal locations,” the whistleblower revealed.