Classified Australian files ‘accidentally sold’

Hundreds of high-level government documents ‘bought at second-hand shop’

Australian Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull launches investigation into secret files
(Image credit: Stefan Postles/Getty Images)

Thousands of Australian government files, some of them marked “top secret”, have been discovered in a pair of discarded filing cabinets purchased at a second-hand shop in Canberra.

ABC News reports that the locked filing cabinets were purchased for “small change” at the store in the Australian capital. Since there were no keys for the cabinet, the new owners, who have not been identified, used a drill to remove the locks - and discovered the files inside.

Subscribe to The Week

Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

SUBSCRIBE & SAVE
https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/flexiimages/jacafc5zvs1692883516.jpg

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

Sign up
To continue reading this article...
Continue reading this article and get limited website access each month.
Get unlimited website access, exclusive newsletters plus much more.
Cancel or pause at any time.
Already a subscriber to The Week?
Not sure which email you used for your subscription? Contact us