German Federal Prosecutors arrested former intelligence chief August Hanning on Tuesday on suspicion of espionage, treason and obtaining classified information for a foreign power. Hanning headed the Federal Intelligence Service (BND) from 1998 to 2005 and has since worked as a private consultant.
Prosecutors allege Hanning used classified intelligence to draft analysis for one foreign intelligence service and maintained contact with another foreign spying service. The identities of the foreign powers remain undisclosed. Hanning is due in court Wednesday.
Police also arrested Manfred D, a former BND employee who served as Hanning's bureau chief and remained at the agency until this year. Prosecutors charge Manfred D with aiding and abetting attempted treason and treasonous espionage for allegedly passing Hanning approximately 2,000 classified documents in exchange for money. Manfred D served as chief of staff for Hanning's successors between 2012 and 2026, giving him access to highly confidential information. He is due in court Tuesday.
The German Federal Prosecutor's Office stated: "On one occasion, Hanning used classified intelligence to draft an analysis for an officer of a foreign intelligence service," while noting it remained unclear if "the material reached the intended recipient."
Prosecutors also allege Hanning maintained close contact with a representative of another foreign intelligence service over several years, passing political information that was partially based on material provided by Manfred D.
The alleged possession of sensitive intelligence documents emerged during a separate investigation into German steakhouse heiress Christina Block, who faces accusations of orchestrating the 2023 kidnapping of her two youngest children in a custody dispute. Investigators allege Hanning was involved in an earlier attempted kidnapping of the children, which he denies. Criminal police reportedly discovered an electronic data storage device containing recent BND documents during that investigation.
This marks the second major espionage case involving the BND in recent years. A high-ranking German intelligence officer charged with treason in 2023 allegedly passed state secrets to Russia regarding the war in Ukraine and the Wagner mercenary group, receiving roughly €400,000. That trial remains ongoing.