The Crown Prosecution Service has admitted it failed to run checks on 2,000 crime suspects for over a year.
The Tories have demanded a government statement on how details of 15 people wanted abroad in connection with serious crimes were misplaced.
In January 2007 the CPS received DNA details of the suspects, whom the Dutch police want in connection with crimes including murder and rape.
Police in the Netherlands sent DNA profiles of 2,000 suspects to the UK on a computer disc a year ago.
Checks, which started only this month, found 15 had been in the UK and 11 had committed crimes in the past 12 months.
But the Crown Prosecution Service only started making checks against the British database earlier this month.
UK police have now launched a search for the 15. The Conservatives have called for a Commons statement.
Fifteen matches were found. Police are looking for the individuals, suspected of crimes including murder and rape.
The Tories said the public had been put at risk.
'Serial failure'
Sick leave
Shadow home secretary David Davis told the BBC the government was guilty of "serial failures" on data.
The DNA profiles were sent by Dutch police to London and other European capitals in January 2007 with a request to check if any of the suspects had moved to their countries.
"It is a serial failure that has put the British public at risk," he said.
Mr Davis said: "I think we should have a statement to explain exactly how this happened... why on earth the previous failures didn't lead to systems being put in place to stop this sort of failure."
Of course it's unsatisfactory that an administrative error led to serious criminals not being apprehended Keith Vaz, Labour
Liberal Democrat leader Nick Clegg said: "This is another hammer-blow against public confidence which has been so severely damaged over recent months by the various cases of data losses."
The DNA profiles were sent by Dutch police to London and other European capitals in January last year with a request to check if any of the suspects had moved to their countries.
An operation involving police and the Serious Organised Crime Agency has now begun to try to locate the 15 individuals found to have been in the UK.
An operation involving police and the Serious Organised Crime Agency has now begun to try to locate the 15 individuals found to have been in the UK.
think we should have a statement to explain... why on earth the previous failures didn't lead to systems being put in place to stop this sort of failure David DavisShadow Home Secretary
BBC political editor Nick Robinson said the Home Office had been told about the situation a week ago but was advised to say nothing to avoid jeopardising the police operation.
BBC political editor Nick Robinson said the Home Office had been told about the situation a week ago but was advised to say nothing to avoid jeopardising the police operation.
'Not security issue'
He said there was a suggestion that the information had been left in the desk of an official who was off on sick leave.
He said there was a suggestion that the information had been left in the desk of an official who was off on sick leave.
The CPS stressed there was not "a data security issue", saying: "This information was always in the possession of the CPS."
The CPS stressed there was not "a data security issue", saying: "This information was always in the possession of the CPS."
It added: "We can confirm that DNA profiles of around 2,000 unknown individuals were sent by a foreign jurisdiction to the CPS to facilitate a check against the national DNA database.
It added: "We can confirm that DNA profiles of around 2,000 unknown individuals were sent by a foreign jurisdiction to the CPS to facilitate a check against the national DNA database.
"These are profiles relating to unsolved crimes in that country. As this information necessarily relates to ongoing police investigations, it would be inappropriate to provide any more detail at this stage."
"These are profiles relating to unsolved crimes in that country. As this information necessarily relates to ongoing police investigations, it would be inappropriate to provide any more detail at this stage."
'Serial failures'
Labour's Keith Vaz, chairman of the home affairs select committee, said a thorough investigation was needed.
Labour's Keith Vaz, chairman of the home affairs select committee, said a thorough investigation was needed.
"If indeed the disc was in the hands of the Home Office and nothing was done about it, and therefore certain criminal people have not been tracked down, it is something that we need to look into," he said.
'Unsatisfactory'
"One of the whole points of having the sharing of information is that criminals don't feel they can cross EU boundaries and therefore are able to get away with committing crime and hiding from the authorities."
He told BBC Radio 4's Today programme: "It does raise issues about the way in which these processes work.
"Of course it's unsatisfactory that an administrative error led to serious criminals not being apprehended."
Mr Vaz added that there was a need for more "checks and balances", saying: "It's very important that we make sure this is not repeated."
The incident follows a series involving data, the biggest being the loss of 25 million people's child benefit details.
The incident follows a series involving data, the biggest being the loss of 25 million people's child benefit details.
Last month Defence Secretary Des Browne announced an inquiry after it emerged that a Royal Navy laptop containing 600,000 people's details had been stolen - and there had been two similar thefts since 2005.
Last month Defence Secretary Des Browne announced an inquiry after it emerged that a Royal Navy laptop containing 600,000 people's details had been stolen - and there had been two similar thefts since 2005.
In December it emerged that details of three million British learner drivers, held on a computer hard drive, had gone missing in the US.
In December it emerged that details of three million British learner drivers, held on a computer hard drive, had gone missing in the US.
Shadow home secretary David Davis told the BBC the government was guilty of "serial failures" on data.
"It is a serial failure that has put the British public at risk," he said.
Mr Davis said: "I think we should have a statement to explain exactly how this happened... why on earth the previous failures didn't lead to systems being put in place to stop this sort of failure."
Liberal Democrat leader Nick Clegg told BBC Radio 4's Today programme: "This is another hammer-blow against public confidence which has been so severely damaged over recent months by the various cases of data losses."
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