Germany arrests intelligence employee accused of spying for Russia – National | 24CA News

German authorities stated on Thursday they’d arrested an worker of its overseas intelligence service (BND) on suspicion of sharing state secrets and techniques with Russia this 12 months and thereby committing treason.

Police arrested the suspect, a German citizen recognized as Carsten L., on Wednesday in Berlin, the federal prosecutors workplace stated. It stated police additionally raided his flat and office in addition to these of one other particular person.

“The accused is suspected of state treason,” federal prosecutors stated in an announcement. “In 2022, he shared information that he came by in the course of his work with a Russian intelligence agency. The content is considered a state secret.”

In a separate assertion, the BND stated the worker had been positioned in pre-trial detention and searches at two of its workplaces had been carried out.

German authorities have warned of probably heightened Russian spying given the Kremlin’s stand-off with the West over its invasion of Ukraine. The German authorities expelled 40 Russian “spies” in April, in response to the home intelligence company.

The Russian embassy in Berlin didn’t instantly reply to Reuters request for remark.

The BND started its personal, far-reaching inside investigation into the matter as quickly because it turned conscious of the potential of treason inside its personal ranks, BND chief Bruno Kahl stated in a separate assertion. When these suspicions firmed up, the BND known as in federal prosecutors.

Discretion is vital going ahead, as any element of the investigation made public might give the “opponent an advantage in its intent to harm Germany”, Kahl stated.

“With Russia, we are dealing with an actor where we must reckon with its ruthlessness and willingness to be violent.”

As such, the BND wouldn’t be giving out any additional particulars on the case till federal prosecutors had concluded their investigation, Kahl added.

The case got here days after Austria stated it had recognized a 39-year-old Greek citizen whom it suspects of spying for Russia.

The final time a German intelligence worker was arrested for treason was in 2014 – though then it was for betraying secrets and techniques to the U.S. Central Intelligence Agency. The man, recognized as Markus R., was in 2016 sentenced to eight years in jail. The episode cooled relations on the time between shut allies Berlin and Washington.