German foreign intelligence agency official arrested for ‘spying for Russia and passing state secrets to the Kremlin’

• German foreign intelligence agency official arrested on suspicion of treason 
• He is accused of ‘transmitting information to Russian intelligence services’ 
• The accused was remanded in custody amid soaring tensions with Russia

An official for Germany’s foreign intelligence agency has been arrested on suspicion of treason for allegedly passing state secrets to Russia, officials said Thursday.

The official, named as Carsten L., ‘transmitted information that he had obtained in the course of his professional activities to Russian intelligence services,’ federal prosecutors said in a statement.

He was arrested on Wednesday in Berlin, with authorities searching his workplace and apartment. One other person was also the subject of a search.

‘Investigations were conducted in close cooperation with the BND,’ the statement added.

The suspect allegedly passed the information to Russia this year. He was remanded in custody after appearing before a judge.

An official for Germany’s foreign intelligence agency has been arrested on suspicion of treason for allegedly passing state secrets to Russia, officials said Thursday. Investigations are being conducted in cooperation with the Federal Intelligence Service (BND) (headquarters pictured)

The case comes at a time of soaring tensions between Berlin and Moscow following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in February.

BND president Bruno Kahl said the agency would not comment further on the case for now, as ‘restraint and discretion are very important’.

‘With Russia, we are dealing with an actor whose unscrupulousness and willingness to use violence have to be reckoned with,’ he said.

‘Every detail of this operation that becomes public means an advantage for this adversary in its intention to harm Germany.’

Germany has faced several spying cases with links to Russia in recent years, as have other European countries.

The suspect allegedly passed the information to Russia this year. He was remanded in custody after appearing before a judge

David Ballantyne Smith (pictured), a security guard at Britain’s embassy in Berlin, also passed state secrets to Russia over a 15 month period. He was motivated by an intense hatred of the UK 

Last month a German man was handed a suspended sentence for passing information to Russian intelligence services while working as a reserve officer for the German army.

David Ballantyne Smith, a security guard at Britain’s embassy in Berlin, also passed state secrets to Russia over a 15 month period.

He was motivated by an intense hatred of the UK. 

He despised British values and was angered by the flying of the Rainbow LGBT+ flag at the embassy that employed him for eight years, prosecutors said.

The 58-year-old, originally from Paisley, Scotland, now faces up to 14 years in prison after pleading guilty to eight counts under the Official Secrets Act.

And in 2020, former defence worker Simon Finch, 52, from Southport, admitted disclosing ‘damaging’ top secret details of a UK missile system and is currently serving an eight-year jail term. 

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