Sensitive Details Leak From Europol

Europe's police agency is in deep crisis after sensitive and confidential files stored at Europol's headquarters in The Hague went missing last summer.

This time Europol cannot boast about security (Photo: Sem van der Wal/ANP/AFP)

As is known, following the incident, the head of Human Resources at the agency, Massimiliano Bettin, was placed on administrative leave, the four officials said. Europol's internal note said that "the head of the HR unit will not be available until further notice." Bettin did not wish to comment or issue a statement to the paper regarding the incident.

Europol’s sensitive hardcopy HR files are kept locked away in a safe, in a room that is limited to restricted personnel. Very few people know the code to the safe, one of the officials who had direct knowledge of the procedure said. It is unclear how the files were taken.

One theory is that the files could have been taken to damage Bettin, in the context of internal conflicts within the agency, according to officials. Bettin, who served as chief marshal in Italy's police forces, had been the head of HR at Europol since 2016.

Cover photo: This time Europol cannot boast about security (Photo: Sem van der Wal/ANP/AFP)