Former German spy chief arrested for espionage and treason

Former German spy chief August Hanning has been arrested on suspicion of espionage, treason and obtaining classified accusation for an overseas power, the German Federal Prosecutor's Office said. Hanning headed the Federal Intelligence Service (BND) from 1998 to 2005 and has since been moving arsenic a backstage consultant. Prosecutors allege that helium utilized classified quality to "draft an analysis" for 1 overseas quality work and maintained interaction with different overseas spying service. Investigators have not disclosed which overseas powers were involved. Police besides arrested erstwhile BND worker Mandred D, accusing him of passing Hanning astir 2,000 classified documents for money. Manfred D, who was Hanning's bureau main and remained successful the BND until this year, is charged with aiding and abetting attempted treason and treasonous espionage. Local media reported Hanning was arrested astatine his location successful Nordwalde adjacent Münster portion, while Manfred D was arrested successful Bavaria. Hanning is owed successful tribunal connected Wednesday and Manfred D volition look connected Tuesday. Prosecutors accidental Mandred D, who besides served arsenic the main of unit for Hanning's successors betwixt 2012 and 2026, utilized his relation to summation entree to highly confidential accusation which helium past passed connected to Hanning "in speech for remuneration". "The existent findings suggest that, implicit the years, Manfred D provided Hanning with astir 2,000 documents, galore of which contained classified accusation to beryllium utilized exclusively by the Federal Intelligence Service for interior purposes," the connection says. "On 1 occasion, Hanning utilized classified quality ... to draught an investigation for an serviceman of a overseas quality service," prosecutors said, noting it was not wide if "the worldly reached the intended recipient". Hanning is besides accused of being "in adjacent interaction with a typical of different overseas quality service, to whom helium passed connected governmental information, partially based connected worldly provided by Manfred D, for respective years". Local media accidental Hanning's alleged possession of quality documents came to airy during a abstracted lawsuit relating to German steakhouse heiress Christina Block. Hamburg nationalist prosecutor's bureau accused Block of orchestrating the kidnapping of her 2 youngest children successful 2023 owed to a custody dispute. Investigators allege Hanning was progressive successful an earlier attempted kidnapping of the children, which helium denies. State