Stockholm, January 04 , SPA — Swedish defence forces Friday said a probe has been launched after a USB memory stick containing classified information about operations in Afghanistan was found at a Stockholm library, according to dpa.
A defence forces employee has reported that he forgot the memory stick after using a public computer at a library, Colonel Bengt Sandstrom of the military intelligence and security unit MUST told Swedish radio.
The memory stick was found a few weeks ago by a library visitor, who contacted Stockholm tabloid Aftonbladet. Aftonbladet handed over the memory stick to the defence forces on
Thursday, and in its Friday editions reported that the documents stored on the memory stick included information from 2005 about a US intelligence-gathering group in Afghanistan as well as reports on suicide bombings.
“In general terms, the information was related to homemade bombs,” Sandstrom said.
Sweden has contributed forces to the NATO-led International Security and Assistance Forces (ISAF) in Afghanistan, and the Swedish defence forces have contacted NATO about the incident.
A prosecutor was also to review the case, and the employee who forgot the memory stick may face a six-month jail term if found guilty of careless handling of classified documents.