The former director of Germany’s foreign intelligence service was taken into custody on Tuesday under suspicion of sharing classified information with a foreign intelligence agency, as stated by the federal prosecutor’s office. August Hanning, who led the Federal Intelligence Service (BND) from 1998 to 2005, is being investigated for alleged treasonous espionage and spying activities, according to the official statement.
At 80 years old, Hanning was apprehended in Bad Tölz-Wolfratshausen in southern Germany. Additionally, a former assistant named Manfred D. was arrested in Steinfurt, located in western Germany, and is facing charges of aiding and abetting attempted treason and espionage.
According to Ines Peterson, a spokesperson for the federal prosecutor’s office, there are suspicions that Hanning used classified data to create reports for a foreign intelligence agent. It is also alleged that he shared information with another intelligence service following extensive interactions with its personnel.
The identities of the foreign agencies involved or the exact recipients of the classified information have not been disclosed by the prosecutor’s office. Both suspects had their properties searched on the day of their arrest.
The prosecutor’s office revealed that Manfred D. served as Hanning’s chief of staff and later held the same position for subsequent BND presidents. It was noted that Manfred D. had access to sensitive information due to his role within the organization.
The investigation indicated that in 2010, both suspects agreed for Manfred D. to continuously provide valuable intelligence from the BND to Hanning in exchange for compensation. It was estimated that over the years, Manfred D. delivered about 2,000 documents, many containing classified details, for Hanning’s private consulting work and internal use within the Federal Intelligence Service.
The statement did not specify the country of the foreign agent or confirm if the transmitted information reached its intended recipient. Hanning was reported to have been in close contact with a representative from another foreign intelligence service, to whom he shared political information sourced partially from Manfred D.’s material.
The investigation into Hanning’s activities was initiated as part of a separate probe into the abduction of Christina Block’s children, which ultimately led to the arrests. Evidence obtained during a search of Hanning’s residence related to the abduction case prompted the ongoing legal actions.
Hanning and a retired official from the Hamburg State Criminal Police Office are suspected of accepting a contract in 2022 to abduct Block’s children while working for a security firm. The Blocks are a well-known Hamburg family famous for their Block House steakhouse chain. The custody dispute involving the family has attracted significant media attention in Germany.
German opposition lawmaker Konstantin von Notz expressed dismay at the allegations against Hanning and urged a thorough and prompt investigation. As a member of the Greens party and the German parliament committee overseeing intelligence services, von Notz emphasized the importance of investigating the serious accusations against the former BND chief.
Requests for comments from the BND were not immediately answered.