Hanning, 80, who headed Germany’s Federal Intelligence Service from 1998 to 2005, was arrested in Bad Toelz-Wolfratshausen in southern Germany, Al Jazeera reported.
His former chief of staff, identified by prosecutors as Manfred D., was also arrested in Steinfurt in western Germany on suspicion of aiding and abetting attempted treason and treasonous espionage.
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According to the Office of the Federal Public Prosecutor General, Hanning allegedly used classified intelligence supplied by Manfred D. to prepare an analysis for an officer of a foreign intelligence service.
Prosecutors said Manfred D. served as chief of staff to Hanning’s successors between 2012 and 2026, using his position to access confidential information that he allegedly passed to Hanning in exchange for payment.
Investigators said Manfred D. provided Hanning with around 2,000 documents over several years, many of which contained classified information intended exclusively for internal use by Germany’s foreign intelligence service.
Hanning allegedly used some of the material in his private consulting activities, prosecutors said.
“On one occasion, Hanning used classified intelligence provided by Manfred D. to draft an analysis for an officer of a foreign intelligence service,” prosecutors said.
Authorities have not identified the country or foreign intelligence service that the two men are suspected of working with. Prosecutors also said it remains unclear whether the information ultimately reached its intended recipient.
Searches of properties linked to both suspects were being carried out at several locations, including Berlin, as part of the investigation.
Marc Henrichmann, chairman of the German parliament’s intelligence oversight committee, said the country would not tolerate the disclosure of state secrets.
“Whoever allies themselves with the enemies of our liberal democracy will be found out,” Henrichmann said.
The arrests come as Germany faces heightened concerns over espionage and the protection of classified information amid increased security tensions in Europe.
The investigation is ongoing, and the allegations against both men have not been established in court.
