🔗 Share this article Taliban Used Left-Behind UK Equipment to Track Down Afghans Who Worked With Western Forces, Investigation Is Told A whistleblower has told an official investigation that the UK left behind confidential equipment allowing Afghanistan's rulers to track down local individuals who worked with international military. Information Leak Endangers Numerous at Risk Person A, identified as Person A, stated that people concerned by the data leak were told to change residences and switch their mobile numbers to ensure their safety from the ruling authorities. Members of Parliament are investigating official response of a massive breach of confidential data involving approximately 19k individuals who had requested to relocate to the UK to escape the Taliban. The Information Breach Was Discovered A spreadsheet with private information, such as names, addresses and occasionally relative details, was accidentally leaked by a worker employed at British military command in early 2022. The breach was discovered only in August 2023, when the names of nine people who had requested to settle in Britain surfaced on online platforms. Taliban Capabilities “There seems to be a false assumption that militant forces are without similar capabilities that western nations possess,” the whistleblower testified to the committee. All equipment was abandoned in Afghanistan; it's in their hands. Should they obtain your phone number, they are able to track your exact position. That is what the unit did.” When questioned about whether the Taliban owned advanced decryption, Person A declared: “They possess all resources.” Consequences of the Data Breach Initial findings presented to the committee suggested that at least 49 family members and associates of individuals impacted by the breach had been murdered. A gag order about the incident was put in force in August 2023 and restricted any information about it from being made public until recently. Security Recommendations Because she was restricted, Person A and the aid group she collaborated with advised individuals at risk they were assisting that they had “apprehensions that certain devices had been compromised”. “We advised that they change residence where feasible and changed their contact details. These represented the two main details that, if the Taliban had access to such data, would cause identification and capture,” she said. Challenged Assessments The source contested that government assessment conducted by an ex-government employee had been wrong to conclude that the acquisition of the dataset by militant forces was “unlikely to substantially change an individual's existing exposure”. “The important fact is that these Afghans are in hiding from the authorities; they are in hiding. All concerns relate to their previous employment.” She detailed disturbing abuse suffered by affected individuals, comprising electrocution, interrogation techniques, and severe beatings. “Instances include four-year-old children who have had bones crushed to pressure relatives to disclose hiding places,” the whistleblower revealed.