Former German Spy Chief Arrested on Treason Charges

Germany's former head of foreign espionage is now behind bars on charges of treason and spying. Prosecutors made this clear Tuesday after August Hanning, 80 years old, was taken into custody. He served as president of the Federal Intelligence Service from 1998 until 2005. The arrest took place in Bad Toelz-Wolfratshausen in southern Germany.

His former chief of staff is also facing legal action and has been detained on suspicion of aiding attempted treason and engaging in espionage himself. This man, partially identified as Manfred D, was caught in Steinfurt in western Germany. The prosecutor's office stated that Hanning once used classified intel provided by his ex-staff member to write an analysis for a foreign intelligence officer.

Manfred D held the chief of staff role under Hanning and then continued in similar positions for Hanning's successors between 2012 and 2026. He allegedly used that access to grab confidential data and hand it over to Hanning for payment. In return, Hanning utilized these secrets during his private consulting gigs.

Current evidence suggests Manfred D gave roughly 2,000 documents to Hanning over the years. Many of these papers held classified info meant only for internal federal intelligence use, especially for executive briefings. The official statement stopped short of naming the foreign power involved or saying if the stolen material actually reached its intended target.

Marc Henrichmann, a German member of parliament who leads the intelligence oversight committee, told AFP that Germany will not stand for the betrayal of secrets. He warned that anyone aligning with enemies of liberal democracy will be exposed. Search warrants were executed at homes and offices in multiple spots, including Berlin.