Ex-German intelligence chief arrested for allegedly spying
What's the story
Former German Federal Intelligence Service (BND) president August Hanning has been arrested on espionage allegations. The 80-year-old was taken into custody in Bad Toelz-Wolfratshausen in southern Germany. He is accused of passing sensitive information, endangering national security interests. The investigation is ongoing, and the agency he was spying for remains undisclosed.
Co-accused
Hanning's former aide arrested
Germany's federal prosecutor's office has also arrested Hanning's former aide, Manfred D, on charges of aiding and abetting treasonous espionage.
Manfred, who was Hanning's chief of staff at the BND from March 2012 until March 2026, is accused of passing on classified information to Hanning in exchange for remuneration.
"In his role, he had access to confidential information," the prosecutor's office said.
Accusations
Hanning allegedly misused classified information
Hanning is accused of using classified intelligence for his private consulting work and even drafting an analysis for a foreign intelligence service officer.
The premises of both men were searched on Tuesday as part of the investigation into this long-running espionage case.
The investigation centers around their alleged agreement to share valuable intelligence over several years.