🇩🇪🕵️ Former BND Chief Arrested on Suspicion of Espionage

The 80-year-old August Hanning, who headed the Federal Intelligence Service (BND) from 1998 to 2005, has been arrested. The Office of the Federal Prosecutor is investigating him on suspicion of attempted treason, intelligence agent activity, and the disclosure of state secrets. His former chief of staff, Manfred D., was arrested at the same time, ⁠reports Handelsblatt.

According to the investigators’ findings, Manfred D., who continued to work for the BND, may have handed Hanning around 2,000 internal documents, including classified ones. Allegedly, an arrangement had existed since as early as 2010: Hanning may have used the information for his private consulting work. In one case, prosecutors say, he is alleged to have prepared an analysis for employees of a foreign intelligence service on the basis of the information he received. According to information from WDR, NDR, and the “Süddeutsche Zeitung,” the allegations against Hanning and his former office director do not concern Russia. Which foreign actor exactly is the subject of the investigation has not yet been officially disclosed.

This appears particularly notable in light of yesterday’s statements by current BND chief Martin Jäger about a “shadow war” with Russia. While the German intelligence service is publicly warning of a threat from abroad, the investigative authorities are dealing with a possible leak of around two thousand secret documents through the former head of this very BND.


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