Australia–Timor-Leste spying scandal

The Australia–Timor-Leste spying scandal began in 2004 when the Australian Secret Intelligence Service (ASIS) clandestinely planted covert listening devices in a room adjacent to the Timor-Leste (East Timor) Prime Minister's Office at Dili, to obtain information in order to ensure Australia held the upper hand in negotiations with Timor-Leste over the rich oil and gas fields in the Timor Gap. Even though the Timor-Leste government was unaware of the espionage operation undertaken by Australia, negotiations were hostile.

Source: Wikipedia — Australia–Timor-Leste spying scandal (CC BY-SA 4.0)