Germany arrests former domestic intelligence chief over alleged spying

August Hanning in 2006. He was arrested on Tuesday in Bad Toelz-Wolfratshausen, in southern Germany. Photograph: Fabrizio Bensch/ReutersView image in fullscreenAugust Hanning in 2006. He was arrested on Tuesday in Bad Toelz-Wolfratshausen, in southern Germany. Photograph: Fabrizio Bensch/ReutersGermany arrests former domestic intelligence chief over alleged spyingAugust Hanning served as president of Federal Intelligence Service from 1998 to 2005

Germany’s federal prosecutor’s office has said a former domestic intelligence chief was arrested on Tuesday on espionage allegations.

August Hanning was president of the Federal Intelligence Service (BND) from December 1998 to November 2005.

He is “strongly suspected of treasonous espionage, spying out state secrets, attempted treason and espionage”, the federal prosecutor’s office said in a statement.

Hanning was arrested in Bad Tölz-Wolfratshausen in southern Germany. A former aide of his, identified only as Manfred D, was also arrested on Tuesday in Steinfurt in western Germany.

Manfred D is charged with aiding and abetting attempted treason and treasonous espionage.

The prosecutor’s office did not reveal who the men were suspected of spying for.

The prosecutor’s office said Manfred D had worked as Hanning’s chief of staff. After Hanning’s tenure at the BND, he became chief of staff for several subsequent presidents of the BND from March 2012 until March 2026.

“In his role, he had access to confidential information,” the prosecutor’s office said.

Both suspects are believed by prosecutors to have agreed, in the spring of 2010, to Manfred D continuously transmitting valuable intelligence from the BND to Hanning “in exchange for remuneration”.

“The current findings suggest that, over the years, Manfred D provided Hanning with approximately 2,000 documents, many of which contained classified information to be used exclusively by the federal intelligence service for internal purposes, particularly for executive intelligence briefings,” the statement alleged.

Hanning had used the information in his private consulting work, it added.

The office said: “On one occasion, Hanning used classified intelligence provided by Manfred D to draft an analysis for an officer of a foreign intelligence service.”

The office did not say which country the foreign agent worked for, adding: “It has yet to be determined if the material reached the intended recipient.”

The premises of both men were searched on Tuesday.