Dutch Foreign Ministry official arrested for spying

A Dutch foreign ministry official has been arrested on suspicion of bribery and leaking confidential information, possibly including state secrets.

The 60-year-old man was detained on 24 March, the Public Prosecutor’s Office announced* on Friday. Following a court ruling, the suspect will be remanded in custody for up to a fortnight.

The man is accused of passing on secret information to a couple living Germany who are believed to be spies for Russia.**

(Radio Netherlands, 30 March 2012)

* Text of statement of the Public Prosecutor's Office (in Dutch)

**  The Foreign Ministry official is suspected to have provided information to a German couple during seven years. In return, he is said to have received monthly payments. According to the Dutch daily 'De Telegraaf', the intelligence passed on by the 60-year old man included information on foreign operations by the Dutch secret services AIVD (civilian) and MIVD (military).
Given the date of arrest of the Germans (October 2011), this concerns Andreas en Heidrun Anschlag, suspected of having spied during twenty years for Russia's foreign intelligence agency SVR. The name of the Dutchman came up during the investigation into the case of the Anschlag couple. For more information on the Anschlag case, see this article by 'Der Spiegel'. (hdv)