Germany's Biggest Post-WWII Spy Scandal Unfolds? Former Intelligence Chief Arrested

A former chief of Germany's foreign intelligence agency, the Federal Intelligence Service (BND), is under investigation on suspicion of leaking about 2,000 internal documents over a period of more than 10 years and selling some of them to a foreign intelligence agency.

Some have raised the possibility that intelligence provided by allied intelligence agencies, such as the United States and the United Kingdom, may have been handed over to a third country.

Local media outlets described the incident as the "worst security breach" and evaluated that it could become Germany's biggest espionage case since World War II.

According to the weekly magazine Der Spiegel and other sources on October 6 (local time), the German Federal Prosecutor's Office is investigating whether August Hanning, 80, a former BND chief arrested on charges of leaking about 2,000 BND documents through an insider, sold the information to a foreign intelligence agency.

Prosecutors have found that Hanning used the extracted materials to even generate new intelligence reports to be provided to a foreign intelligence agency.

Specifically, Der Spiegel reported that Hanning had contact with an Azerbaijani intelligence operative.

Until recently, he was active in the German-Azerbaijani Forum, a bilateral exchange and cooperation organization.

Hanning was arrested on October 6 on charges of attempted treason, gathering classified information for espionage purposes, collecting state secrets, and spying for a foreign intelligence agency.

Hanning, who served as BND chief from 1998 to 2005, ran a private consulting business after retirement and obtained numerous documents until June 2022 by paying compensation to Manfred D., a BND administrative director.

The documents in question were briefing materials for security meetings hosted by the Federal Chancellery, and many of them were classified.

Manfred continued to work as administrative director even after Hanning retired, giving him access to classified information.

Prosecutors believe that the two men agreed to buy and sell documents in the spring of 2010.

Security officials stated that some of the leaked materials were documents shared by allied intelligence agencies.

The British Secret Intelligence Service (MI6), the Government Communications Headquarters (GCHQ), and U.S. intelligence agencies are reportedly planning to launch internal investigations, concerned that the incident may have exposed their own state secrets and sources.

The BND has previously been evaluated as having weaker intelligence-gathering capabilities compared to allies due to controls by the federal government and parliament.

Because of this, the German government drew up a reform plan last August to significantly expand the powers of domestic and foreign intelligence agencies.

The daily Die Welt pointed out that this incident "has caused unease among Western intelligence agencies" and "could seriously harm Western intelligence cooperation."

Local media outlets suspect that Hanning engaged in an "intelligence business" for money.

He reportedly faced the threat of bankruptcy after running a real estate business in Latvia following his retirement.

Some are even raising suspicions that he may have been recruited by a foreign intelligence agency back when he was still in active service.

Hanning worked as a special security officer at the West German permanent representation in East Berlin from 1986 to 1990, during the division of East and West Germany.

The spying activities of the former foreign intelligence chief, which spanned over a decade, were uncovered by chance.

Hanning was investigated for his involvement in a 2023 incident where Christina Block, the daughter of the founder of the famous steakhouse chain Block House, abducted her children during a custody dispute.

Authorities searched Hanning's home last year, discovered a massive hoard of BND documents, and launched an investigation into espionage charges.

(Photo: AP, Yonhap News)
※ Please note: This article was translated by AI and may contain errors.