Last week an anonymous source handed 2GB and MTR afternoon announcer Chris Smith a memory stick found on a Qantas domestic flight. The stick contained ‘sensitive’ military information which was rated as classified. It covered topics such as the war in Afghanistan.

Within 30 minutes of Smith mentioning the find on-air a soldier and an army PR man turned up at 2GB to collect the stick.

According to Macquarie Network PD, Ian Holland, “They were extremely keen to get it back. Two Defense investigators later interviewed Chris and his executive producer Ian Dodd about the source and the passage of the stick. They were concerned about who had copies.  There were twenty documents contained in the dossier.”

While Smith believes that the loss of the memory stick is a serious breach that raises concerns about military security in Australia, the ADF has hosed down the incident with this media release coming from their media department…

A 2GB Radio Sydney announcer broadcast, on 10 March 2011, that he was in possession of a computer memory stick containing Defence classified information that was allegedly found on a Qantas flight.

The memory stick was collected by Defence staff from the radio station on 10 March. Initial analysis indicates that the device does contain Defence information, none of which is highly classified and some which is unclassified and available over the internet.

The owner of the memory stick has been identified. He is a former Defence member, and is now a contractor to the department.

Defence takes any compromise of its information seriously, and the circumstances surrounding the loss of the thumb drive are being investigated.

As the investigation is continuing Defence is unable to comment further at this stage.