Afghan Rulers Employed Abandoned British Gear to Track Down Afghans That Served With Allied Troops, Inquiry Hears

A whistleblower has revealed a parliamentary probe that the UK left behind confidential devices allowing Afghanistan's rulers to identify local individuals who collaborated with allied troops.

Information Leak Endangers Numerous at Risk

The whistleblower, known as Person A, stated that people concerned by the data leak were told to change residences and change their phone numbers to protect themselves from the Taliban.

MPs are looking into the Conservative government's response of a catastrophic disclosure of confidential data involving nearly 19,000 Afghans who had asked to move to the United Kingdom to avoid militant rule.

The Information Breach Occurred

A spreadsheet containing private information, including identities, contact details and occasionally relative details, was accidentally leaked by a worker working at UK special forces headquarters in early 2022.

The incident became known in late 2023, when identities of several individuals who had requested to settle in the UK appeared on social media.

Taliban Capabilities

“There seems to be a false assumption that Afghan rulers are without similar capabilities that allied forces use,” she told lawmakers.

“We left it all behind in Afghanistan; they have it. If they have a contact number, they are able to track your precise location. That's precisely what specialized teams achieved.”

When questioned about whether the Taliban had access to advanced decryption, the whistleblower stated: “They've got everything.”

Impact of the Security Lapse

Initial findings submitted to the investigation estimated that at least 49 family members and associates of Afghans affected by the incident had been killed.

A gag order concerning the incident was enacted in late 2023 and blocked all details concerning it from being made public until mid-2025.

Protective Actions

Given injunction limitations, Person A and the non-governmental organization associated with advised individuals at risk they were working with that they had “concerns that somebody's phone had been intercepted”.

“Our suggestion was that they change residence where feasible and changed their contact details. These represented the primary information that, should militant forces obtained these details, would result in their location being found,” she said.

Contested Findings

Person A argued that an official review conducted by a former official had been mistaken to conclude that the obtaining of the information by the regime was “not significantly alter present danger”.

“The important fact is that affected people are not standing up to the authorities; they remain concealed. Everything boils down to past work history.”

She detailed horrific violence experienced by affected individuals, including electrocution, simulated drowning, and severe beatings.

“We have had toddlers who have had limbs fractured to pressure relatives to disclose hiding places,” Person A stated.