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An informant has told the Afghan leak inquiry that the UK left behind classified devices permitting the militant group to track down local individuals that had served with western forces.

Data Breach Puts Numerous at Risk

The whistleblower, known as Person A, testified that individuals impacted by the data leak were advised to move homes and alter their mobile numbers to ensure their safety from the Taliban.

Members of Parliament are looking into the UK government's response of a catastrophic disclosure of private information affecting nearly 19,000 individuals who had requested to come to the United Kingdom to flee the Taliban.

How the Leak Occurred

A spreadsheet containing confidential details, such as identities, contact details and sometimes family information, was inadvertently disclosed by an official working at British military command in early 2022.

The incident came to light only in August 2023, when the names of several individuals who had applied to relocate to the UK were posted on online platforms.

Taliban Capabilities

Many believe there's this misconception that Afghan rulers lack similar capabilities that we have,” the whistleblower testified to the committee.

Technology was deserted in Afghanistan; it's in their hands. If they have a contact number, they are able to track your precise location. That is what specialized teams achieved.”

When questioned about if militant forces owned necessary encryption, the whistleblower declared: “They've got everything.”

Consequences of the Information Leak

Early investigations submitted to the inquiry suggested that approximately fifty relatives and co-workers of individuals impacted by the leak had been killed.

A gag order about the leak was put in force in August 2023 and prevented relevant facts regarding the matter from public disclosure until mid-2025.

Security Recommendations

Due to legal constraints, the whistleblower and the non-governmental organization she was working with told individuals at risk they were assisting that they had “apprehensions that mobile communications had been compromised”.

“We advised that they moved where feasible and switched their contact details. That constituted the two main details that, if authorities acquired this information, would cause their location being found,” Person A explained.

Challenged Assessments

Person A disputed that an official review carried out by an ex-government employee had been mistaken to conclude that the obtaining of the dataset by militant forces was “unlikely to substantially change present danger”.

“The thing to remember is that affected people are in hiding from the Taliban; they remain concealed. All concerns relate to their previous employment.”

The source explained horrific abuse endured by affected individuals, involving electrocution, interrogation techniques, and severe beatings.

“We have had toddlers who have had limbs fractured to try to get relatives to say where someone is,” the whistleblower revealed.