A former chief of Germany’s foreign intelligence agency was apprehended on Tuesday over suspicions of divulging government secrets to a foreign intelligence entity, as per the federal prosecutor’s office. August Hanning, who helmed the Federal Intelligence Service (BND) from 1998 to 2005, is facing serious allegations of espionage, including spying on state secrets and attempted treason.
The 80-year-old Hanning was seized in Bad Tölz-Wolfratshausen in southern Germany, while a former assistant named Manfred D. was also detained in Steinfurt, in western Germany, and charged with aiding and abetting treasonous espionage. According to the federal prosecutor’s office, Hanning is believed to have utilized classified data to create an analysis for a foreign intelligence service staff member and shared information following an extended interaction with another intelligence service staff member.
The identities of the foreign entities involved in the spying activities have not been disclosed. Both suspects purportedly agreed in 2010 for Manfred D. to continuously relay valuable intelligence from the BND to Hanning in return for payment. It is alleged that over the years, Manfred D. provided Hanning with around 2,000 classified documents intended solely for internal use by the BND.
Hanning allegedly leveraged the confidential information for private consulting work and even prepared an analysis for a foreign intelligence service officer using classified intelligence provided by Manfred D. The prosecutor’s office has not revealed the nationality of the foreign agent or confirmed if the material reached its intended recipient.
The investigation into Hanning was triggered by a separate inquiry into the abduction of Christina Block’s children. Evidence uncovered during a search of Hanning’s residence relating to that case led to the arrests on Tuesday. Hanning and a retired official from the Hamburg State Criminal Police Office are suspected of involvement in a child abduction scheme orchestrated in 2022 at the behest of Block, a prominent Hamburg family known for their Block House steakhouse chain.
German lawmaker Konstantin von Notz expressed dismay over the allegations against Hanning and urged a swift and thorough investigation. Von Notz, a member of the Greens party and the German parliament intelligence services oversight committee, emphasized the need for a prompt inquiry into the serious accusations against the former BND chief. Requests for comments from the BND were unanswered at the time of reporting.
