Alleged espionage for Russia: BND employees arrested

The allegations are serious: the Federal Public Prosecutor has had an employee of the BND arrested. He is said to have passed on information to a Russian secret service.

The Federal Criminal Police Office arrested an employee of the Federal Intelligence Service on Wednesday. In addition, the apartment and the workplace of the accused and another person were searched. The suspicion: treason.

The Attorney General is leading the investigation. A press release states that the accused Carsten L. is employed by the Federal Intelligence Service. “In 2022, he transmitted information that he had obtained in the course of his professional activity to a Russian intelligence service. The content is a state secret within the meaning of Section 93 of the Criminal Code.”

BND does not give any further details

In a written statement, BND President Bruno Kahl emphasized that restraint and discretion are very important in this case: “With Russia, we are dealing with an actor on the other side whose unscrupulousness and willingness to use violence we have to reckon with.” The BND does not want to say what the specific dimensions of the case are. “In consideration of the ongoing investigations,” Kahl’s written statement continues, the intelligence service does not want to publicly comment on further details in this case until further notice.

The concern is that if interim results of the investigations in Karlsruhe come to light, Moscow could guess what level of knowledge the Federal Public Prosecutor General in Karlsruhe has. “Every detail of this process that is made public gives the enemy an advantage in their intention to harm Germany,” said Kahl.

It is also unclear when the suspect was noticed. The BND President’s statement said: “After the BND became aware of a possible case of treason in its own ranks as part of its intelligence work, the BND immediately initiated extensive internal investigations. When these confirmed the suspicion, the Federal Public Prosecutor was immediately involved .”

Suspect is in custody

The suspect was brought before the investigating judge today. He is now in custody. Two BND properties were also searched in connection with the investigation.

Suspected spies also in other countries

Alleged cases of espionage have also become public in other European countries this year. Austrian investigators uncovered a Greek as a suspected spy. This is said to have provided information to Russia in connection with the Ukraine war. In Norway, police have arrested a man believed to be the son of one of Putin’s associates for illegally flying a drone.