Germany arrests British embassy worker accused of spying for Russia

By Nadine Schmidt and Lindsay Isaac, CNN

A British embassy employee suspected of spying for Russia has been arrested in the German city of Potsdam, British and German authorities said on Wednesday.

The British national, identified only as David S., is suspected of having passed documents onto a Russian intelligence service in exchange for cash from November 2020 at the latest, Germany’s federal prosecutor said in a statement.

The 57-year-old was arrested in the Berlin area on Tuesday as part of a joint British-German investigation, according to the Counter Terrorism Command of London’s Metropolitan Police.

The suspect’s alleged offenses are related to “being engaged in ‘Intelligence Agent activity’ under German law,” it added.

His apartment and workplace have been searched and he will be brought before an investigating judge later on Wednesday, according to the German statement.

“Primacy for the investigation remains with German authorities. Officers from the Counter Terrorism Command continue to liaise with German counterparts as the investigation continues,” the Metropolitan Police said in a statement.

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