World · The New York Times · Oct 6, 2026, 8:49 AM ET

GERMAN ESPIONAGE SCANDAL: Former Spy Chief Held over Kidnap Plot

Original headline: German Officials Arrest Former Spy Chief on Espionage Charges · By Jim Tankersley

August Hanning is accused of helping foreign governments. His arrest shook the German political world and had roots in a steakhouse-heiress kidnapping plot.