Former German Intelligence Chief Arrested on Suspicion of Espionage and Treason

Germany’s former foreign intelligence chief, August Hanning, has been arrested on suspicion of attempted treason and operating as an agent for a foreign spy agency, federal prosecutors confirmed on Tuesday. The 80-year-old former head of the Federal Intelligence Service (BND) was taken into custody in Bad Toelz-Wolfratshausen in southern Germany. His former chief of staff, identified as Manfred D, was also arrested simultaneously in western Germany on charges of aiding and abetting attempted treason and treasonous espionage.

According to the Office of the Federal Public Prosecutor General, Manfred D allegedly supplied Hanning with approximately 2,000 documents over several years, many containing highly classified material intended solely for internal executive briefings. In return, Manfred D reportedly received financial remuneration. Prosecutors stated that on at least one occasion, Hanning drafted an analytical report using this classified data for a foreign intelligence operative to support his private consulting operations. German lawmaker Marc Henrichmann, who chairs the parliamentary intelligence oversight committee, condemned the alleged acts, stating, "Whoever allies themselves with the enemies of our liberal democracy will be found out."

Hanning served as president of the BND from 1998 until 2005, later transitioning into private sector consulting. Manfred D retained access to sensitive government networks long after Hanning's departure, continuing to serve as chief of staff for subsequent BND leadership until 2026. The prolonged timeline enabled regular, unauthorized exfiltration of top-level security files over an extended duration, creating potentially severe vulnerabilities within Germany's national security apparatus.

German authorities have not yet disclosed the foreign government or intelligence service suspected of receiving the leaked intelligence, noting that investigations are still confirming whether all the shared documents reached the intended foreign recipient. Law enforcement officials carried out extensive search operations across multiple properties linked to both suspects, including locations in Berlin, as formal judicial proceedings and counterintelligence damage assessments proceed.