August Hanning, a former chief of Germany’s foreign intelligence agency, was arrested Tuesday on suspicion of espionage and attempted treason. Federal prosecutors allege he obtained classified documents and used sensitive information to prepare an analysis for an employee of a foreign intelligence service.
Hanning, 80, headed Germany’s Federal Intelligence Service, or BND, from 1998 through 2005.
Federal prosecutors said Hanning is “strongly suspected of treasonous espionage, spying out state secrets, attempted treason, and espionage.”
Investigators also arrested a former aide, identified as Manfred D., in western Germany. He is accused of aiding and abetting attempted treason and treasonous espionage.
August Hanning, the former head of Germany’s Federal Intelligence Service, was arrested on suspicion of espionage and attempted treason, federal prosecutors said. (Michael Kappeler/dpa via AP)
Prosecutors said Manfred D. previously served as Hanning’s chief of staff and later held the same role for several of Hanning’s successors at the BND between March 2012 and March 2026. That position allegedly gave him access to confidential material.
Beginning in 2010, prosecutors allege, the two men entered an arrangement in which Manfred D. regularly supplied intelligence to Hanning in return for payment.
The alleged transfer of information continued until June 2022. During that period, Manfred D. is said to have provided about 2,000 documents, many of them classified and intended solely for internal use, prosecutors said.
Hanning allegedly drew on the material in his work as a private consultant.
YOU MIGHT ALSO LIKE: Kyrsten Sinema’s Former Bodyguard Matthew Ammel Demands Bond Payment One Month After Allegedly Damaging Her Home
Police officers stand outside the home of August Hanning, 80, the former president of Germany’s Federal Intelligence Service, or BND, after his arrest on espionage suspicions in Nordwalde, Germany, Tuesday, Oct. 6, 2026. (Christoph Reichwein/dpa via AP)
A spokesperson for the federal prosecutor’s office told German broadcaster RTL that investigators suspect Hanning used classified material to produce an analysis for an employee of a foreign intelligence service.
Prosecutors further alleged that Hanning shared information after engaging in extensive communications with an employee of another intelligence agency.
German authorities have not disclosed which foreign intelligence services are allegedly connected to the case.
The probe began with evidence uncovered during an apparently unrelated investigation into the 2024 abduction of the children of Hamburg businesswoman Christina Block amid a custody dispute.
According to prosecutors, evidence from that case ultimately led to Hanning’s arrest.
August Hanning headed Germany’s Federal Intelligence Service, known as the BND, from 1998 to 2005 and later worked as a private consultant. (Michael Kappeler/dpa via AP)
Hanning’s detention is reportedly the first arrest of a former head of Germany’s foreign intelligence service, Reuters reported.
Hanning and Manfred D. were expected to appear before a judge at Germany’s Federal Court of Justice after their arrests.
News Media has contacted GLOBSEC, where Hanning previously had an affiliation, seeking comment on his arrest and the allegations.