Former BND director August Hanning arrested on suspicion of spying for foreign power
August Hanning, former head of German secret services, has been arrested on suspicion of espionage and treason. A former BND employee is accused of providing him with approximately 2,000 classified documents.
Former BND director held in espionage case alongside former service employee
August Hanning, who led Germany's Federal Intelligence Service (BND) between 1998 and 2005, has been arrested on suspicion of espionage, treason and transmission of classified information to a foreign power, the German Federal Prosecutor's Office announced, according to bbc.com.
Prosecutors contend that Hanning, who later worked as an independent consultant, used secret data to "prepare an analysis" intended for an officer of a foreign intelligence service. He is also said to have maintained "close ties" with a representative of another foreign spy service, to whom he allegedly transmitted "political information over many years". Investigators did not specify which states were involved in these contacts.
At the same time, police have also detained Manfred D., a former BND employee, accused of transmitting approximately 2,000 classified documents to Hanning in exchange for sums of money. Manfred D. held the position of bureau chief under Hanning's command and continued to work at BND through this year, including as chief of staff under Hanning's successors between 2012 and 2026.
"Over the years, Manfred D. supplied Hanning with approximately 2,000 documents, many of which contained secret information intended for exclusive use by the Federal Intelligence Service for internal purposes", the Federal Prosecutor's statement said.
Prosecutors added that it is unclear whether "the material reached its intended recipient".
According to local media, Hanning was arrested at his home in Nordwalde, near Münster, whilst Manfred D. was detained in Bavaria. Hanning was to appear before court on Wednesday, and Manfred D. on Tuesday.
Connection to another case
According to local media cited by bbc.com, the existence of documents in Hanning's possession came to light during a separate case involving Christina Block, the heiress of a restaurant chain. The Hamburg prosecutor's office accuses Block of orchestrating the kidnapping of her own two minor children in 2023, in the context of a custody dispute over them. Investigators claim that Hanning was involved in a previous attempted kidnapping of the children. He denies the accusations.
Judicial police officers reportedly discovered, during the investigation, an electronic data storage device containing sensitive information, including recent BND documents.
Precedent within BND
This is not the first time BND has faced a case of internal espionage. In 2023, a senior officer of the service was accused of treason for allegedly transmitting state secrets to Russia. Prosecutors contend that the officer, identified as Carsten L., supplied information about the war in Ukraine and about the Wagner mercenary group, receiving approximately 400,000 euros in return. His trial is ongoing.
Source: Google News RO — Crime (ro)