Former German Spy Chief August Hanning Arrested for Espionage

Former German spy chief August Hanning has been arrested on suspicion of espionage, treason, and obtaining classified information for a foreign power, the German Federal Prosecutor's Office announced. Hanning, who led the Federal Intelligence Service (BND) from 1998 to 2005, is accused of using classified intelligence to draft an analysis for one foreign intelligence service and maintaining contact with another.

Prosecutors allege that a former BND employee, identified as Manfred D., who served as Hanning's bureau chief and remained with the agency until this year, passed approximately 2,000 classified documents to Hanning in exchange for payment. Manfred D. also served as chief of staff for Hanning's successors between 2012 and 2026.

Hanning is accused of using classified intelligence on at least one occasion to draft an analysis for an officer of a foreign intelligence service, though it remains unclear if the material reached its intended recipient. He is also alleged to have been in close contact with a representative of another foreign intelligence service for several years, passing on political information, partly based on material provided by Manfred D.

Manfred D. is charged with aiding and abetting attempted treason and treasonous espionage. He was arrested in Bavaria, while Hanning was taken into custody at his home in Nordwalde near Münster. Hanning is scheduled to appear in court on Wednesday, and Manfred D. on Tuesday.

The investigation into Hanning's alleged possession of intelligence documents reportedly surfaced during a separate case involving German steakhouse heiress Christina Block. Hamburg prosecutors accused Block of orchestrating the kidnapping of her two youngest children in 2023 amid a custody dispute. Investigators allege Hanning was involved in an earlier attempted kidnapping of the children, which he denies.

State criminal police officers are said to have discovered an electronic data storage device containing sensitive information, including recent BND documents, during their investigation.

This is not the first time the BND has faced such allegations. In 2023, a high-ranking German intelligence officer was charged with treason for allegedly passing state secrets to Russia. Prosecutors claimed that officer, Carsten L., shared intelligence concerning the war in Ukraine and the Wagner mercenary group and received approximately €400,000. His trial is ongoing.