UK citizen arrested in Germany on suspicion of spying for Russia

David S, who worked at the British embassy in Berlin, is accused of exchanging documents for money

David S worked at the British embassy in Berlin until his arrest in nearby Potsdam on Tuesday. Reuters

Germany has arrested a British citizen who worked at the UK embassy in Berlin on suspicion of spying for Russia's intelligence service.

Prosecutors accused the man, named only as David S under German privacy laws, of passing documents to Russian spies in exchange for money.

The 57-year-old, who worked at the embassy until his arrest on Tuesday in the eastern German city of Potsdam, is suspected of “working for a foreign secret service since November 2020”.

German prosecutors said that he “on at least one occasion passed on documents he acquired as part of his professional activities to a representative of Russian intelligence".

His home and place of work have been searched and he will appear before an investigating judge on Wednesday.

The arrest was carried out as a result of a joint investigation between Germany and the UK.

“An individual who was contracted to work for the government was arrested yesterday by the German authorities,” a UK government representative said. “It would not be appropriate to comment further as there is a continuing police investigation.”

The arrest of David S also involved counterterrorism officers from London’s Metropolitan Police, who are responsible for investigating breaches of the UK’s Official Secrets Act.

The Met Police confirmed that "the man was arrested in the Berlin area".

“Primacy for the investigation remains with German authorities," it said. "Officers from the Counter Terrorism Command continue to liaise with German counterparts as the investigation continues.”