August Hanning.. From Head of German Intelligence to Espionage Accusations

The arrest of August Hanning, former head of German foreign intelligence (BND), on charges of espionage and high treason, following an investigation that revealed he obtained nearly two thousand secret documents between 2010 and 2022 in exchange for sums of money, and his connection to the kidnapping case of the children of a German restaurant chain heiress.

The German Federal Public Prosecutor's Office arrested August Hanning, the former head of the German foreign intelligence service (BND), in October 2026 on charges of espionage and high treason. The arrest came after investigations revealed, according to allegations, that he obtained nearly two thousand secret intelligence documents between 2010 and 2022 in exchange for sums of money. He is suspected of exploiting this information for profit and commercial gain in his capacity as a security consultant. The case came to light in September 2025, during an investigation into the kidnapping of the children of German restaurant chain heiress Christina Block, when police searched Hanning's homes and offices and found secret intelligence documents. Hanning was accused of arranging the initial contact between Block and former Israeli intelligence (Mossad) informants, specifically between her and the cybersecurity company 'Cyber Copula'. He also faced accusations of receiving more than one hundred thousand euros (about $108,000) from Block for the return of her children from Denmark. Hanning, born in 1946, headed the BND between 1998 and 2005, then served as Deputy Minister of the Federal Interior until 2009, before moving into consulting. His international connections expanded; in 2021 he joined the advisory board of the Israeli cybersecurity company Fin, headed by former Mossad chief Danny Yatom. His former assistant Manfred D. was also arrested on charges of helping him leak information.