British Embassy worker arrested in Germany for spying: What you need to know

Picture courtesy: BBC

David S, the British national, was arrested in Potsdam on suspicion of spying for Russia. He was being monitored by MI5. He worked at British Embassy in Berlin.

A statement from the German prosecutor said," 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 arrest is the result of a joint investigation by German and British authorities and was not a 'snap arrest'.

The arrested man was a local hire at the embassy in Berlin and his access to high-level information would have therefore been limited but not inconsequential. 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.