German police arrests British Embassy staff for allegedly spying for Russia

Police operatives in Germany have arrested a staff of the British Embassy in the country for allegedly spying for the Russian secret service.

German prosecutor said in a statement on Wednesday the staff simply identified as David S. has been detained in a police facility in Berlin.

The statement read: “Until his arrest, David S. worked as a local employee at the British Embassy in Berlin.

“On at least one occasion, he forwarded documents obtained in the course of his professional activities to a representative of a Russian intelligence service.

“In return for providing information, the accused received cash in a previously unknown amount.”

The statement said the German Secret Service had known about the suspect’s activities for some time, adding that he was being monitored by British security services.

“The first thing to note is that the arrested man was a ‘local hire’ at the Embassy in Berlin, which means he wasn’t a diplomat – his access to high-level information would have therefore been limited but not inconsequential.

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“But depending on his actual job, he could still provide valuable intel to Russia: information on security protocols at the Embassy, details of the internal Wi-Fi network, profiles of senior diplomats and their families, and possibly, even names of MI6 officers stationed in Berlin.

“Even seemingly mundane information can help a foreign intelligence service build a picture of an adversary and provide the keys to access more sensitive data.

“We understand that his alleged activities were known about for some time and he’d been monitored by MI5 – this wasn’t a snap arrest by German authorities.

“It was an intelligence-led operation, meaning that investigators took their time gathering evidence and building a case against him,” the prosecutor added.

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