German daily Bild reported on Tuesday that August Hanning, former chief of the Federal Intelligence Service (BND), has been arrested on suspicion of espionage. Hanning led Germany’s foreign intelligence agency from 1998 to 2005.
The allegations against him include espionage involving state secrets, high treason, and spying on behalf of a foreign power. According to the report, Hanning allegedly purchased classified intelligence for cash from a former staff member at BND executive headquarters, intending to “resell the information as part of his commercial consulting practice.” The Federal Public Prosecutor General is leading the investigation against both suspects.
Federal Criminal Police Office (BKA) investigators arrested Hanning at his home in the early morning. Meanwhile, police in Bavaria apprehended Manfred D., a former senior BND officer who served as Hanning’s chief of staff and remained at the intelligence agency until spring 2026.