German prosecutors arrested former Federal Intelligence Service chief August Hanning on Tuesday, charging him with espionage, treason and unlawful handling of classified material. Hanning, who led the BND from 1998 to 2005 before becoming a private consultant, was taken into custody at his residence in Nordwalde near Münster. Investigators allege that he drafted analyses for a foreign intelligence service using information obtained from a former BND colleague, Manfred D, who is accused of passing roughly 2,000 classified documents to Hanning in exchange for payment. Prosecutors say the documents contained material designated for internal use by the BND and that Hanning maintained contact with a representative of another foreign intelligence service, sharing political information derived in part from the leaked files. Both men face charges of aiding and abetting attempted treason and treasonous espionage; Hanning is scheduled to appear in court on Wednesday, while Manfred D will appear on Tuesday. The arrests follow a separate investigation into German businesswoman Christina Block, whose case revealed an electronic storage device containing recent BND documents. The BND has previously encountered similar allegations, including the 2023 treason charge against Carsten L, who is accused of selling intelligence about the Ukraine war and the Wagner mercenary group for approximately €400,000. His trial remains ongoing.