🔗 Share this article Taliban Utilized Discarded UK Technology to Find Local Nationals Who Worked With Allied Forces, Investigation Learns A whistleblower has told a parliamentary probe that the UK failed to secure classified equipment permitting the Taliban to locate Afghans who worked with western forces. Information Leak Endangers Numerous at Risk The whistleblower, known as Person A, explained that people concerned by the information breach were advised to change residences and switch their mobile numbers to protect themselves from the ruling authorities. Members of Parliament are currently examining the UK government's handling of a serious disclosure of personal details involving almost nineteen thousand Afghans who had applied to relocate to the United Kingdom to flee the Taliban. How the Leak Happened A spreadsheet with their personal data, including identities, contact details and in some cases household data, 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 nine people who had applied to relocate to the UK surfaced on Facebook. Regime's Resources “There seems to be this misconception that militant forces do not have comparable resources that western nations possess,” she told lawmakers. “We left it all behind in Afghanistan; it's in their hands. Once they acquire mobile details, they can trace your precise location. That is what intelligence groups did.” Under inquiry about regarding if authorities had access to advanced decryption, the source declared: “They have complete capability.” Impact of the Data Breach Early investigations submitted to the committee estimated that approximately fifty relatives and associates of Afghans affected by the incident had been executed. A legal restriction concerning the leak was enacted in August 2023 and blocked relevant facts about it from media reporting until recently. Safety Measures Due to legal constraints, the source and the volunteer organization she collaborated with advised affected households they were supporting that they had “concerns that certain devices had been breached”. “We recommended that they relocate when possible and switched their phone numbers. Those were the two main details that, should militant forces had access to these details, would result in their location being found,” the source testified. Challenged Assessments The source disputed that internal investigation conducted by an ex-government employee had been mistaken to conclude that the obtaining of the information by the regime was “not significantly alter an individual's existing exposure”. “The thing to remember is that affected people are in hiding from militant forces; they remain concealed. The primary issue involves their previous employment.” The source explained horrific abuse endured by affected individuals, involving electric shock torture, simulated drowning, and physical abuse. “There are cases of four-year-old children who have had limbs fractured to pressure the family to reveal locations,” she testified.