Former German intelligence chief arrested on espionage charges

German police arrested August Hanning, a former head of the BND intelligence agency, in October 2026. He is suspected of spying for a foreign country. Hanning led the BND from 1998 to 2005 and later worked as a private consultant. Prosecutors say he paid to get secret documents and used them to write reports for a foreign spy service. A second man, his former chief of staff, known as Manfred D, was also arrested. He is accused of helping Hanning get the classified material. On at least one occasion, Hanning used secret information from Manfred D to prepare an analysis for a foreign intelligence officer. The identity of the foreign service has not been made public.