Taliban Employed Discarded UK Technology to Track Down Afghans That Served With Western Forces, Investigation Is Told
A confidential source has disclosed an official investigation that British authorities abandoned confidential devices permitting the militant group to track down local individuals that had served with allied troops.
Data Breach Puts Thousands at Risk
The whistleblower, called Person A, explained that Afghans affected by the information breach were advised to move homes and alter their mobile numbers to avoid detection from the Taliban.
Members of Parliament are currently examining official response of a massive leak of confidential data affecting approximately 19k individuals who had asked to come to the UK to escape the regime.
Data Disclosure Happened
An electronic document with private information, comprising identities, phone numbers and in some cases relative details, was accidentally leaked by an official employed at UK special forces headquarters in last year.
The leak became known months later, when details of several individuals who had applied to settle in Britain appeared on social media.
Taliban Capabilities
Many believe there's a false assumption that Afghan rulers do not have comparable resources that we have,” the whistleblower testified to lawmakers.
Technology was deserted in Afghanistan; it's in their hands. If they have your phone number, they can trace you down to within metres. This is exactly how the unit achieved.”
During testimony about if militant forces had access to sophisticated technology, the whistleblower confirmed: “They possess all resources.”
Impact of the Data Breach
Preliminary research presented to the investigation indicated that no fewer than forty-nine family members and associates of people concerned by the incident had been killed.
A legal restriction regarding the leak was implemented in late 2023 and blocked relevant facts regarding the matter from media reporting until July 2025.
Protective Actions
Given injunction limitations, the source and the non-governmental organization associated with advised Afghan families they were supporting that they had “concerns that somebody's phone had been breached”.
“We recommended that they relocate when possible and switched their contact details. Those were the primary information that, if the Taliban obtained such data, would cause them being traced,” she said.
Challenged Assessments
The whistleblower contested that internal investigation performed by an ex-government employee had been wrong to determine that the obtaining of the information by militant forces was “minimally impact an individual's existing exposure”.
“The crucial point is that these Afghans are not confronting militant forces; they live secretly. The primary issue involves their previous employment.”
The source explained disturbing violence experienced by concerned people, involving electrocution, waterboarding, and physical abuse.
“There are cases of four-year-old children who have had their arms broken to pressure the family to say where someone is,” the whistleblower revealed.
