Cryptic crossword clue
Policeman retains criminal file, noting contents removed: act of corruption 8

The most common and most likely answer to this crossword clue is the 8 letter word DEFILING

I've seen this crossword clue in Financial Times
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The cryptic/wordplay part
In cryptic crossword there's often an wordplay/cryptic part as well.
This part involves a more complex hint, such as an anagram, homophone, hidden word, etc.
Sadly, We don't have an explanation for this specific crossword clue yet.

What does DEFILING mean?

DEFILING verb
  1. To make unclean, dirty, or impure; soil; befoul.
  2. To vandalize or add inappropriate contents to something considered sacred or special; desecrate
  3. To deprive or ruin someone's (sexual) purity or chastity, often not consensually; stain; tarnish; mar; rape
DEFILING verb
  1. To march in a single file; to file.

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