Former head of German intelligence discovered to have been a spy for another country for 12 years

Berlin (Caasimada Online) — The former head of the German foreign intelligence agency, August Hanning, was arrested on Tuesday, suspected of espionage and attempted treason, a case seen as one of the largest breaches of intelligence in the country since the end of the Cold War.

The Federal Prosecutor's Office of Germany stated that Hanning, who led the BND agency between 1998 and 2005, is suspected of having long received classified information and documents from within the agency.

According to the prosecutors , an individual named Manfred D., who held senior positions at the BND, is believed to have provided Hanning with nearly 2,000 documents over a period of about 12 years, until 2022.

These documents included classified materials intended to inform the senior leadership of the BND before regular meetings held at the German Chancellor's office, which were attended by senior officials from various ministries and security agencies.

The prosecutors stated that Hanning used this information for his private consulting work, and in at least one case, he prepared classified information for an assessment submitted to an employee of an intelligence agency from another country.

“The accused Hanning is strongly suspected of espionage reaching the level of treason,” the prosecutors' statement said.

So far, the foreign intelligence agency he was connected to or the country it belongs to has not been disclosed.

A German intelligence officer who spoke to Politico, requesting that his name not be disclosed due to an ongoing investigation, stated that the Russian and Chinese intelligence agencies were not involved in the two connections that the investigation is focusing on.

Long-standing information

Manfred D., who was reported to be the head of staff at Hanning, later remained within the BND, serving as an office head for several presidents who led the agency between March 2012 and March 2026, according to prosecutors.

He has been charged with “aiding and facilitating an attempt at treason and espionage for a foreign power.”

The prosecution also stated that Hanning had for many years a “very strong connection” with another individual from a foreign intelligence agency, to whom he provided political information, some of which was based on documents he received from Manfred D.

The case is now raising serious questions about how such extensive information could be extracted from within the BND for more than a decade without detection.

It also poses a new blow to the reputation of the German foreign intelligence agency, which has previously faced cases involving employees accused of spying for other countries.

In 2022, a former BND official named Carsten L. was arrested on suspicion of passing secret information to Russia. He denied the allegations against him, with his case still ongoing.

Such cases have previously raised concerns among some Western intelligence agencies, which at times have been cautious about the sensitive information they share with the BND.

Critical Time

The arrest of Hanning came at a time when Chancellor Friedrich Merz's government is planning to grant additional powers to the BND, including capabilities for offensive cyber operations, extensive espionage, and other measures to respond to threats from abroad, particularly from Russia.

One day before the arrest, the current head of the BND, Martin Jäger, warned parliament that Germany is at risk of entering a “violent clash” with Russia, accusing Moscow of escalating a covert war against Berlin.

Jäger also supported a new law that would grant his agency additional powers.

“We will be a different BND, a new BND,” he said. “We know that additional powers come with additional responsibilities.”

But a day later, Jäger found himself defending his agency after new allegations raised concerns about the BND's internal security and how sensitive information had long been able to escape the agency.

“The BND and I cannot compromise when it comes to internal security,” Jäger said in a statement. “This incident does not change our goals and priorities.”

However, the case is expected to increase pressure on parliament and questions about how the BND manages its secrets as Germany prepares to respond firmly to espionage, cyberattacks, and disruptive actions attributed to Russia.

Konstantin von Notz, a member of the Greens party and part of the parliamentary committee overseeing intelligence agencies, described the allegations against Hanning as "serious and shocking".

“Any damage done to the intelligence agencies must be identified and investigated promptly and thoroughly,” he told the WELT newspaper.