FORMER HEAD OF GERMAN INTELLIGENCE ARRESTED

BERLIN, OCTOBER 6 /SRNA/ - Former head of Germany's intelligence service August Hanning has been arrested on suspicion of espionage and treason, German media reported.

The Bild and Süddeutsche Zeitung newspapers report that federal prosecutors are investigating Hanning, who headed the Federal Intelligence Service /BND/ from 1998 to 2005, and that there is another person under investigation.

Bild reports that the suspicions include obtaining state secrets, treason and espionage for a foreign power.

The newspaper added that Hanning paid a former member of the BND leadership for confidential information and allegedly "planned to resell it" as part of his consulting work.

The Süddeutsche Zeitung reported that for years after leaving office, Hanning had been receiving classified material from one of the agency’s directors.

Investigators are examining whether he passed the secrets on to foreign powers, the newspaper reported.

The case has been described as potentially one of the biggest espionage scandals in German history.