Ex-German Spy Chief Arrested for Espionage and Treason

August Hanning, the former head of Germany's Federal Intelligence Service (BND), was arrested at his home on suspicion of serious espionage offenses. Prosecutors allege that his former aide, Manfred D., transferred thousands of classified documents to Hanning over several years. The investigation that uncovered these materials began unexpectedly in connection with the kidnapping case of the children of heiress Christine Block, which also involved Israelis.

Hanning, 80, was apprehended in his home in Nordwalde, western Germany. Simultaneously, Manfred D., who previously served as Hanning's chief of staff and later held a senior position within the BND, was arrested in Bavaria. The Federal Prosecutor's Office stated that Hanning is suspected of espionage constituting treason, collecting state secrets, and acting for a foreign intelligence service, though the specific service has not been disclosed.

According to a joint investigation by WDR, NDR, and Süddeutsche Zeitung, the alleged scheme began around spring 2010, about five years after Hanning left the BND leadership. Hanning allegedly agreed with Manfred D. that D. would continue to supply him with information from the intelligence service in exchange for money. Manfred D. had exceptional access to sensitive information, including documents prepared for intelligence meetings in the Chancellor's office and reports on critical topics like Iran's nuclear program and the Russian military. Some of the leaked information also included intelligence Germany received from partner nations, raising concerns about future information sharing.

Investigators are also examining suspicions that Hanning used the information in his business dealings as a consultant after his retirement, and potentially in one instance, for a security analysis prepared for an operative of a foreign intelligence service. While Hanning has had past connections with individuals in Russia and China, this specific instance was reportedly not related to Russia.

The investigation into Hanning was initiated almost by chance. Authorities were already looking into Hanning as part of the unrelated Christine Block case, concerning the alleged kidnapping of her two children from Denmark to Germany amid a custody dispute. Israelis, including security personnel and former members of the Israeli security establishment, were reportedly linked to this case. Hanning's name had been connected to previous attempts to return the children to Germany, claims he denied. During the Block investigation, electronic storage devices seized from Hanning's home and office in September of the previous year revealed the BND documents, some dating as recently as 2022. This discovery prompted a secret investigation into Hanning and his suspected source within the BND, which began in May of the current year. The Israeli connection is noted as the pathway that led to the discovery of the espionage case, not as an indication that the foreign service Hanning allegedly worked for was Israeli.