Germany’s federal prosecutor has announced the arrest of a former head of the country’s domestic intelligence service over allegations including treasonous espionage and attempted treason.
August Hanning, who served as president of the Federal Intelligence Service (BND) from December 1998 until November 2005, was arrested on Tuesday in Bad Tölz-Wolfratshausen in southern Germany.
The federal prosecutor’s office said Hanning is “strongly suspected of treasonous espionage, spying out state secrets, attempted treason and espionage”.
A former aide to Hanning, identified only as Manfred D, was also arrested on the same day in Steinfurt, western Germany.
Manfred D faces allegations of aiding and abetting attempted treason and treasonous espionage.
Authorities have not disclosed the country or foreign intelligence service that the two men are suspected of working with.
According to prosecutors, Manfred D previously served as Hanning’s chief of staff. He later returned to the BND and worked as chief of staff to several of its subsequent presidents from March 2012 until March 2026.
“In his role, he had access to confidential information,” the prosecutor’s office said.
Investigators allege that the two men reached an agreement in spring 2010 under which Manfred D would regularly pass sensitive intelligence from the BND to Hanning in return for payment.
“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.
Prosecutors further alleged that Hanning subsequently used the information in his private consulting activities.
The federal prosecutor’s office also said there was at least one instance in which Hanning allegedly used classified material supplied by Manfred D to prepare an analysis for an employee of a foreign intelligence service.
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.”
However, prosecutors have not established whether the classified material was ultimately delivered to the intended recipient.
The office did not identify the country linked to the alleged foreign intelligence activity, saying: “It has yet to be determined if the material reached the intended recipient.”
