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A confidential source has told a parliamentary probe that British authorities left behind classified devices enabling Afghanistan's rulers to track down local individuals who collaborated with allied troops.

Information Leak Endangers Thousands in Danger

Person A, called Person A, testified that Afghans affected by the data leak were instructed to move homes and alter their phone numbers to avoid detection from militant forces.

MPs are investigating official response of a serious disclosure of confidential data concerning nearly 19,000 Afghans who had applied to relocate to the UK to escape the Taliban.

The Information Breach Was Discovered

A data file containing confidential details, comprising names, phone numbers and sometimes relative details, was mistakenly released by a staff member stationed at special operations center in last year.

The leak became known only in August 2023, when details of multiple applicants who had requested to settle in Britain appeared on social media.

Regime's Resources

Many believe there's a misunderstanding that militant forces lack comparable resources that we have,” Person A informed lawmakers.

All equipment was abandoned in Afghanistan; it's in their hands. Should they obtain mobile details, they can locate your exact position. This is exactly how the unit accomplished.”

During testimony about regarding if authorities had access to sophisticated technology, the whistleblower declared: “They possess all resources.”

Impact of the Data Breach

Early investigations submitted to the inquiry estimated that approximately fifty kin and colleagues of people concerned by the breach had been murdered.

A superinjunction about the incident was implemented in August 2023 and prevented all details about it from media reporting until mid-2025.

Safety Measures

Because she was restricted, Person A and the non-governmental organization she was working with advised individuals at risk they were assisting that they had “apprehensions that mobile communications had been breached”.

“We advised that they relocate when possible and altered their phone numbers. These represented the primary information that, if authorities acquired these details, would result in their location being found,” the source testified.

Challenged Assessments

Person A argued that an official review carried out by a retired civil servant had been incorrect to state that the obtaining of the records by the Taliban was “not significantly alter current risk levels”.

“The crucial point is that affected people are not standing up to the Taliban; they are in hiding. Everything boils down to former occupations.”

She detailed horrific abuse endured by concerned people, involving electrocution, interrogation techniques, and severe beatings.

“There are cases of toddlers who have had bones crushed to pressure the family to say where someone is,” the whistleblower revealed.