Former GCHQ intern jailed for taking top secret files home

Having previously undertaken a placement at GCHQ in 2019, Arshad began another Industry Year placement between 6 September 2021 and 26 August 2022. During this placement, he was part of a technical development team working on highly sensitive matters, which were stored on a top secret network.

On 24 August 2022, Arshad bought his work mobile phone into his workplace and connected it to his development workstation. He then copied top secret data files to his mobile phone and removed the device from the facility before transferring it to a computer system at his home address.

On 22 September 2022, police executed a search warrant at Arshad’s home address in Rochdale and discovered the top secret data on an external hard drive connected to his home desktop PC.

Unconnected to Arshad’s work at GCHQ, a number of indecent images of children (40 graded as Category A and four as Category B) were found on his personal mobile phone. These were made between 7 and 23 September 2022. Arshad pleaded guilty to two counts of making indecent images of children in January 2023.

Detailed investigation

Arshad was sentenced to seven-and-a-half years' imprisonment. The prosecution followed on from an investigation conducted by the Metropolitan Police Service’s Counter-Terrorism Command.

Bethan David, head of the Crown Prosecution Service’s Counter Terrorism Division, said: “Hasaan Arshad knew his actions were prohibited after he signed the Official Secrets Act and received his induction training. His conduct was deliberate and intentional and represented a flagrant breach of the obvious and necessary rules in place.”

David added: “By transferring the top secret material to his home computer and therefore exposing it to the risks of an unsecure system, Arshad created a significant risk of damage to national security. The Crown Prosecution Service will always seek to prosecute anyone who knowingly jeopardises and endangers the safety of our country.”