An official of Germany's foreign intelligence agency BND has been arrested on suspicion of high treason for allegedly leaking state secrets to Russia, officials said on Thursday (December 22).
The official by the name of Carsten L. "passed on information that he had obtained in the course of his professional activity to Russian secret services," said the federal prosecutor's office.
He was arrested in Berlin on Wednesday, and officers searched his workplace and home, as well as one other person. "The investigations were carried out in close cooperation with the BND," the statement continues.
The suspect reportedly passed the information to Russia earlier this year. He was remanded in custody after appearing before a judge. The case comes at a time of rising tensions between Berlin and Moscow following Russia's invasion of Ukraine in February.
BND President Bruno Kahl said the authority would not comment further on the case for the time being because "moderation and discretion are very important". With Russia, we are dealing with an actor whose ruthlessness and propensity to violence must be taken into account,” he said.
Every detail of this operation that becomes public means an advantage for this adversary in his intention to harm Germany. Germany has faced several cases of espionage linked to Russia in recent years, as have other countries. Recent Month ago, a German received a suspended sentence for disclosing information to Russian intelligence services while working as a reserve officer for the Bundeswehr.