🔗 Share this article Afghan Rulers Utilized Abandoned UK Gear to Track Down Afghans Who Worked With Western Troops, Inquiry Is Told A confidential source has revealed a parliamentary probe that British authorities failed to secure sensitive devices allowing the militant group to locate Afghans that had served with international military. Data Breach Puts Numerous in Danger The whistleblower, identified as Person A, testified that Afghans affected by the security lapse were advised to move homes and change their mobile numbers to avoid detection from the Taliban. MPs are investigating the UK government's handling of a serious breach of private information involving approximately 19k Afghans who had requested to relocate to the UK to flee the regime. The Information Breach Happened A spreadsheet including confidential details, such as identities, contact details and sometimes family information, was inadvertently disclosed by an official working at special operations center in last year. The leak came to light in late 2023, when details of multiple applicants who had requested to settle in Britain were posted on online platforms. Militant Technology It appears there is a misunderstanding that Afghan rulers are without similar capabilities that western nations possess,” she told lawmakers. All equipment was abandoned in Afghanistan; they possess it. If they have a contact number, they can locate your precise location. That's precisely what specialized teams did.” During testimony about regarding if authorities owned advanced decryption, Person A declared: “They've got everything.” Aftermath of the Information Leak Preliminary research provided to the committee suggested that at least 49 kin and co-workers of Afghans affected by the breach had been killed. A superinjunction concerning the incident was implemented in late 2023 and prevented all details regarding the matter from being made public until mid-2025. Safety Measures Because she was restricted, the whistleblower and the aid group she collaborated with advised affected households they were assisting that they had “concerns that certain devices had been compromised”. “We recommended that they relocate if they could and changed their phone numbers. That constituted the two main details that, if the Taliban acquired this information, would lead to their location being found,” Person A explained. Challenged Assessments The whistleblower disputed that internal investigation performed by an ex-government employee had been wrong to state that the obtaining of the records by militant forces was “not significantly alter present danger”. “The thing to remember is that these individuals are in hiding from the authorities; they are in hiding. Everything boils down to former occupations.” Person A described disturbing treatment endured by concerned people, involving electric shock torture, interrogation techniques, and severe beatings. “We have had toddlers who have had their arms broken to try to get households to say where someone is,” the whistleblower revealed.