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A confidential source has told the Afghan leak inquiry that the UK abandoned sensitive equipment enabling Afghanistan's rulers to identify Afghans who worked with allied troops.

Data Breach Puts Numerous in Danger

Person A, called Person A, stated that people concerned by the information breach were told to change residences and alter their mobile numbers to avoid detection from the Taliban.

MPs are currently examining official response of a massive leak of private information concerning nearly 19,000 Afghans who had applied to relocate to Britain to escape the regime.

Data Disclosure Was Discovered

An electronic document containing confidential details, such as identities, contact details and sometimes household data, was inadvertently disclosed by a staff member employed at British military command in last year.

The breach became known only in August 2023, when details of nine people who had sought to relocate to Britain were posted on online platforms.

Regime's Resources

“There seems to be a misunderstanding that the Taliban are without similar capabilities that western nations possess,” Person A informed MPs.

Technology was deserted in Afghanistan; they have it. If they have a contact number, they can locate your precise location. That is what intelligence groups accomplished.”

Under inquiry about regarding if authorities owned sophisticated technology, Person A confirmed: “They possess all resources.”

Impact of the Security Lapse

Early investigations submitted to the committee indicated that at least 49 relatives and co-workers of Afghans affected by the leak had been killed.

A legal restriction regarding the breach was put in force in August 2023 and prevented all details regarding the matter from media reporting until mid-2025.

Security Recommendations

Due to legal constraints, Person A and the volunteer organization she was working with told affected households they were supporting that they had “concerns that mobile communications had been compromised”.

“Our suggestion was that they change residence where feasible and switched their mobile numbers. These represented the primary information that, if the Taliban had access to such data, would cause their location being found,” Person A explained.

Contested Findings

Person A argued that government assessment conducted by a retired civil servant had been wrong to determine that the obtaining of the records by the Taliban was “minimally impact current risk levels”.

“The important fact is that affected people are not confronting the Taliban; they are in hiding. All concerns relate to former occupations.”

Person A described disturbing violence endured by affected individuals, comprising electric shock torture, simulated drowning, and severe beatings.

“There are cases of four-year-old children who have had their arms broken to force households to say where someone is,” Person A stated.