---
title: "Former BND Head Arrested on Espionage Charges"
url: https://noti.group/former-bnd-head-arrested-on-espionage-charges/
language: en
publisher: "Noti Group"
section: "World News"
published: 2026-10-06T10:05:42.000Z
updated: 2026-10-06T13:40:12.517Z
id: 1bba063b-9798-47b9-ab59-c78fbdc11331
source: "BBC News World https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c58jzyer1kr0o?at_medium=RSS&at_campaign=rss"
attribution: "Link to https://noti.group/former-bnd-head-arrested-on-espionage-charges/ and name Noti Group when you quote or summarize this story."
---

# Former BND Head Arrested on Espionage Charges

August Hanning, a former head of Germany's Federal Intelligence Service (BND), has been taken into custody by police for allegedly engaging in espionage and treasonous activities.

A former head of Germany's Federal Intelligence Service (BND) has been taken into custody by police for allegedly engaging in espionage and treasonous activities. August Hanning, who led the BND from 1998 to 2005, is accused of using classified information to draft an analysis for a foreign intelligence service.

Hanning, now working as a private consultant, is also alleged to have maintained contact with another foreign spying service. According to investigators, he used his knowledge and connections to benefit a foreign power. The identities of these powers are currently unknown.

In a related development, police arrested Manfred D, Hanning's former bureau chief at the BND, on suspicion of providing classified documents to the former spy chief for financial gain.

Prosecutors have revealed that Manfred D, who served as chief of staff for several BND heads between 2012 and 2026, exploited his position to access highly sensitive information which he then shared with Hanning in exchange for payment.

According to investigators, over the years, Manfred D provided Hanning with approximately 2,000 documents containing confidential data meant exclusively for internal use by the Federal Intelligence Service. This sensitive material included classified information that was not intended for public disclosure or external sharing.

Prosecutors have also found evidence suggesting that on at least one occasion, Hanning used this intelligence to draft an analysis for a foreign intelligence officer. However, it remains unclear whether the recipient actually received the sensitive documents.

Hanning is further accused of maintaining close ties with another foreign intelligence service representative, who allegedly received political information from him over several years. This information was reportedly based on material provided by Manfred D in some instances.

The Hamburg public prosecutor's office has accused Hans-Georg Block of orchestrating a kidnapping plot involving his two youngest children due to a custody dispute in 2023.

State criminal police officers have made another significant discovery during their investigation: an electronic data storage device containing sensitive information, including recent documents from the German intelligence agency BND. This new evidence raises further questions about Block's alleged involvement and motivations.

The high-profile espionage case has brought renewed scrutiny to Germany's intelligence community, which has faced controversy before. In 2023, a senior BND officer was charged with treason for allegedly passing state secrets to Russia in exchange for approximately €400,000.

---
Source: [BBC News World](https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c58jzyer1kr0o?at_medium=RSS&at_campaign=rss)  
Published by Noti Group: https://noti.group/former-bnd-head-arrested-on-espionage-charges/