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A confidential source has revealed a parliamentary probe that the UK failed to secure sensitive equipment allowing the militant group to locate Afghans who collaborated with international military.

Information Leak Endangers Numerous at Risk

The whistleblower, identified as Person A, testified that Afghans affected by the data leak were told to relocate and change their contact details to protect themselves from the ruling authorities.

MPs are investigating the Conservative government's management of a serious breach of private information involving approximately 19k Afghans who had asked to relocate to Britain to flee the regime.

Data Disclosure Occurred

A spreadsheet with their personal data, such as identities, phone numbers and in some cases relative details, was mistakenly released by a staff member stationed at special operations center in last year.

The breach was discovered months later, when identities of multiple applicants who had sought to relocate to the UK surfaced on online platforms.

Taliban Capabilities

“There seems to be this misconception that the Taliban are without the same sort of facilities that allied forces use,” she told the committee.

Technology was deserted in Afghanistan; they possess it. Should they obtain mobile details, they can locate you down to within metres. That's precisely what specialized teams did.”

During testimony about if militant forces owned advanced decryption, Person A stated: “They have complete capability.”

Impact of the Information Leak

Preliminary research provided to the investigation estimated that at least 49 relatives and co-workers of individuals impacted by the leak had been executed.

A legal restriction about the incident was enacted in late 2023 and blocked all details about it from public disclosure until mid-2025.

Protective Actions

Because she was restricted, the source and the non-governmental organization she was working with advised individuals at risk they were supporting that they had “apprehensions that certain devices had been compromised”.

“Our suggestion was that they change residence when possible and switched their contact details. These represented the two main details that, if the Taliban had access to this information, would cause them being traced,” the source testified.

Contested Findings

The source contested that government assessment conducted by a retired civil servant had been mistaken to determine that the possession of the records by the regime was “not significantly alter present danger”.

“The important fact is that these individuals are not confronting militant forces; they live secretly. The primary issue involves past work history.”

She detailed disturbing violence endured by affected individuals, including electric shock torture, simulated drowning, and physical abuse.

“There are cases of toddlers who have had bones crushed to pressure households to disclose hiding places,” the whistleblower revealed.