A former chief of Germany’s foreign intelligence agency was apprehended on Tuesday on suspicion of sharing classified information with a foreign intelligence service, according to the federal prosecutor’s office. August Hanning, who headed the Federal Intelligence Service (BND) from 1998 to 2005, is facing allegations of espionage, including spying on state secrets and attempting treason.
The 80-year-old Hanning was arrested in Bad Tölz-Wolfratshausen in southern Germany, while his former aide, referred to as Manfred D., was also detained in Steinfurt, western Germany. Manfred D. is accused of aiding and abetting attempted treason and espionage. The specific foreign intelligence service involved was not disclosed in the prosecutor’s statement.
Manfred D. previously served as Hanning’s chief of staff and later as chief of staff for several subsequent BND presidents from 2012 to 2026. He had access to confidential information during his tenure. The prosecutor’s office revealed that both suspects allegedly agreed in 2010 for Manfred D. to regularly provide valuable intelligence to Hanning from the BND in exchange for payment.
It was disclosed that Hanning utilized the information for private consultancy purposes and once used classified intelligence from Manfred D. to create an analysis for a foreign intelligence officer. Additionally, Hanning was reported to have maintained close contact with a representative of another foreign intelligence service, passing on political information over several years.
The investigation into Hanning was triggered by a separate probe into the abduction of Hamburg businesswoman Christina Block’s children by her ex-husband. Evidence discovered during a search of Hanning’s residence in connection with that case led to the recent arrests. Hanning and a retired official from the Hamburg State Criminal Police Office are suspected of being involved in a 2022 contract to abduct Block’s children while serving as security firm executives.
The custody battle involving the Block family, well-known for their Block House steakhouse chain, has attracted significant public attention in Germany. The BND did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
