Overview
- Federal prosecutors said they arrested August Hanning in Bad Tölz‑Wolfratshausen and a former aide identified as Manfred D. in Steinfurt on Tuesday and charged them with treasonous espionage and related offences.
- Prosecutors allege the pair agreed in 2010 to a paid arrangement under which Manfred D., who retained access to internal BND files through March 2026, provided about 2,000 documents many marked for internal executive briefings.
- Authorities say Hanning used some of the material in his private consulting and on at least one occasion drafted an analysis for an officer of a foreign intelligence service, but prosecutors have not named that service or confirmed any transfer to an outside recipient.
- Investigators searched both men’s premises on Tuesday and the case is open and active with expected court hearings to decide custody and further searches as prosecutors build their evidence.
- The inquiry grew out of material found in an unrelated 2023 probe linked in media reports to Christina Block and it deepens scrutiny of the BND after other recent cases involving alleged leaks of classified intelligence.