Former German intelligence chief August Hanning has been detained early in the morning at his home in Nordwalde on suspicion of espionage and treason.
The Federal Criminal Police Office of Germany took the 80-year-old into custody near the western city of Münster, German news portal Merkur.de reported.
German authorities suspect Hanning of gathering secret data, attempting high treason, and operating as an agent for foreign intelligence services. Law enforcement officers also detained the former head of Hanning's office, who remained an active intelligence staff member until spring 2026.
The Bundesnachrichtendienst, known as the BND, is Germany's foreign intelligence agency responsible for gathering civilian and military intelligence abroad. The Federal Criminal Police Office, known as the BKA, serves as Germany's central federal law enforcement agency for major criminal investigations and national security cases. Nordwalde is a municipality located in the state of North Rhine-Westphalia, situated near Münster in northwestern Germany.
Allegations of selling state secrets
Investigators alleged that Hanning supplied confidential documents in exchange for money following his retirement from the foreign intelligence service in November 2005. The material allegedly provided by Hanning included classified information obtained from foreign partner intelligence services.
According to investigators, the documents handed over by Hanning included secret files concerning the Iranian nuclear program. The leaked files also reportedly contained sensitive documentation regarding the Russian armed forces.
Intelligence agencies routinely share sensitive information with partner nations under strict confidentiality agreements to monitor international security threats. The Iranian nuclear program and Russian military operations represent two of the most heavily monitored areas of global intelligence gathering for Western security services.
Broader intelligence investigations
The arrest follows a separate espionage prosecution by the German Federal Prosecutor's Office involving a joint German and Ukrainian citizen. German officials said the woman held connections across military and political circles while maintaining contact with Russian intelligence services.
According to German authorities, the female suspect had allegedly communicated with Russian intelligence since October 2023. Investigators reported that she passed information directly connected to the ongoing military conflict in Ukraine.
The Federal Public Prosecutor's Office, based in Karlsruhe, is Germany's highest prosecution authority tasked with investigating crimes against national security, terrorism, and high treason. Under German criminal law, high treason against the federal state involves acts that intentionally compromise the constitutional order or external security of the Federal Republic of Germany.
