Afghan Rulers Used Abandoned UK Gear to Find Afghans That Served With Western Troops, Investigation Is Told

A whistleblower has told the Afghan leak inquiry that British authorities left behind confidential equipment permitting the militant group to track down local individuals who collaborated with allied troops.

Information Leak Endangers Thousands in Danger

The whistleblower, identified as Person A, testified that individuals impacted by the security lapse were told to change residences and alter their phone numbers to protect themselves from the ruling authorities.

MPs are investigating the Conservative government's response of a catastrophic breach of personal details affecting approximately 19k Afghans who had asked to come to Britain to avoid the Taliban.

How the Leak Happened

A spreadsheet containing confidential details, including identities, phone numbers and occasionally family information, was accidentally leaked by an official employed at special operations center in early 2022.

The breach was discovered in late 2023, when the names of several individuals who had requested to relocate to Britain surfaced on online platforms.

Militant Technology

Many believe there's this misconception that militant forces do not have similar capabilities that allied forces use,” the whistleblower testified to lawmakers.

All equipment was abandoned in Afghanistan; it's in their hands. If they have mobile details, they can trace your exact position. This is exactly how specialized teams did.”

During testimony about regarding if authorities had access to advanced decryption, the source declared: “They have complete capability.”

Consequences of the Information Leak

Early investigations presented to the committee estimated that approximately fifty family members and colleagues of Afghans affected by the incident had been murdered.

A gag order about the leak was implemented in August 2023 and blocked all details about it from media reporting until mid-2025.

Security Recommendations

Due to legal constraints, the whistleblower and the non-governmental organization associated with advised affected households they were working with that they had “apprehensions that somebody's phone had been breached”.

“We recommended that they moved if they could and altered their contact details. These represented the two main details that, if authorities acquired this information, would lead to their location being found,” she said.

Challenged Assessments

The whistleblower contested that internal investigation conducted by an ex-government employee had been mistaken to state that the acquisition of the information by the regime was “minimally impact current risk levels”.

“The crucial point is that these individuals are not confronting militant forces; they are in hiding. Everything boils down to former occupations.”

The source explained horrific violence endured by concerned people, comprising electric shock torture, interrogation techniques, and violent assaults.

“Instances include four-year-old children who have had their arms broken to pressure the family to say where someone is,” the whistleblower revealed.