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A confidential source has told the Afghan leak inquiry that British authorities left behind confidential devices allowing Afghanistan's rulers to track down Afghans who collaborated with western forces.

Information Leak Puts Numerous at Risk

The source, known as Person A, stated that individuals impacted by the information breach were told to relocate and alter their contact details to ensure their safety from militant forces.

Lawmakers are investigating the Conservative government's management of a massive leak of confidential data affecting nearly 19,000 Afghans who had applied to come to the UK to escape the regime.

The Information Breach Happened

An electronic document with private information, including names, phone numbers and occasionally household data, was accidentally leaked by a staff member working at special operations center in last year.

The leak became known only in August 2023, when identities of nine people who had requested to settle in Britain surfaced on Facebook.

Militant Technology

It appears there is a false assumption that the Taliban are without comparable resources that western nations possess,” the whistleblower testified to the committee.

Technology was deserted in Afghanistan; it's in their hands. Once they acquire a contact number, they can trace your exact position. This is exactly how the unit did.”

When questioned about whether the Taliban owned sophisticated technology, Person A stated: “They possess all resources.”

Aftermath of the Data Breach

Initial findings submitted to the committee estimated that no fewer than forty-nine relatives and co-workers of individuals impacted by the breach had been murdered.

A superinjunction regarding the breach was implemented in August 2023 and restricted all details about it from being made public until July 2025.

Security Recommendations

Given injunction limitations, the source and the volunteer organization associated with informed Afghan families they were assisting that they had “concerns that somebody's phone had been intercepted”.

“We advised that they moved when possible and altered their phone numbers. These represented the crucial data that, if the Taliban acquired these details, would result in identification and capture,” the source testified.

Challenged Assessments

The source argued that government assessment conducted by an ex-government employee had been incorrect to determine that the acquisition of the records by the Taliban was “minimally impact present danger”.

“The important fact is that affected people are in hiding from the Taliban; they are in hiding. All concerns relate to former occupations.”

Person A described horrific treatment endured by concerned people, involving electric shock torture, interrogation techniques, and physical abuse.

“There are cases of toddlers who have had their arms broken to try to get relatives to say where someone is,” the whistleblower revealed.