Bundesnachrichtendienst: Ex-BND-Präsident Hanning unter Spionageverdacht festgenommen

A former president of the German foreign intelligence agency, August Hanning, has been arrested on suspicion of espionage. His former office manager, Manfred D., was arrested simultaneously in Bavaria. Both men face charges of attempted high treason and secret service agent activity. Manfred D. has been in custody since his arrest, while Hanning is currently under investigation.

Police conducted searches in several locations, including Berlin, where they found empty moving boxes in a building on Berlin's Mitte district. The investigation is focused on Hanning's alleged involvement in providing information to foreign intelligence agencies, but the specific country or organization is unclear. According to sources, Hanning and D. may have been involved in providing intelligence to businesses in Central Asia.

Former BND President Hanning served as a state secretary at the German Interior Ministry between 2005 and 2009. His former assistant, Manfred D., worked for several BND presidents as an assistant between 2012 and 2026. Both men are suspected of receiving valuable intelligence-related information for their respective consultancy work.

Hanning had allegedly agreed to provide such information in exchange for payment in 2010. The investigation into Hanning began following a search conducted by the Hamburg state prosecutor's office in September 2025, which was linked to a previous kidnapping case involving a Swiss intelligence firm. The case has become a test for the new BND president, Martin Jäger, who took office in September 2025.