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An informant has told the Afghan leak inquiry that British authorities failed to secure classified devices permitting Afghanistan's rulers to track down local individuals that had served with allied troops.

Data Breach Puts Numerous at Risk

The whistleblower, called Person A, explained that Afghans affected by the information breach were advised to change residences and alter their mobile numbers to ensure their safety from militant forces.

Lawmakers are looking into the Conservative government's management of a serious disclosure of private information affecting approximately 19k individuals who had requested to relocate to the UK to avoid the Taliban.

How the Leak Was Discovered

An electronic document including their personal data, such as names, addresses and occasionally relative details, was accidentally leaked by a staff member working at British military command in early 2022.

The leak was discovered in late 2023, when the names of nine people who had requested to move to the UK were posted on social media.

Militant Technology

Many believe there's a false assumption that militant forces lack similar capabilities that western nations possess,” the whistleblower testified to MPs.

Technology was deserted in Afghanistan; they have it. If they have a contact number, they are able to track your precise location. That is what specialized teams achieved.”

When questioned about if militant forces possessed advanced decryption, the source declared: “They possess all resources.”

Consequences of the Data Breach

Initial findings submitted to the committee suggested that approximately fifty relatives and co-workers of individuals impacted by the leak had been executed.

A gag order about the breach was implemented in last year and blocked all details concerning it from media reporting until July 2025.

Safety Measures

Because she was restricted, Person A and the non-governmental organization she was working with informed individuals at risk they were supporting that they had “suspicions that mobile communications had been intercepted”.

“We advised that they change residence where feasible and changed their mobile numbers. Those were the primary information that, if authorities acquired these details, would result in their location being found,” the source testified.

Disputed Conclusions

The whistleblower disputed that internal investigation conducted by a former official had been mistaken to determine that the possession of the information by the Taliban was “minimally impact present danger”.

“The crucial point is that affected people are not standing up to militant forces; they remain concealed. Everything boils down to past work history.”

Person A described horrific abuse endured by at-risk Afghans, involving electrocution, waterboarding, and severe beatings.

“There are cases of four-year-old children who have had bones crushed to force relatives to reveal locations,” she testified.