German newsweekly Der Spiegel is reporting that Germany's former spy chief may have passed classified information to China and Azerbaijan.

August Hanning's arrest on suspicion of espionage and treason on Tuesday sent shockwaves through the intelligence sector. 

Hanning has been charged with passing state secrets to foreign intelligence and is being held in pre-trial detention.

He led Germany's Federal Intelligence Service — known as the BND — from 1998 to 2005.

Prosecutors say his former chief of staff has also been arrested on suspicion of aiding and abetting attempted treason and treasonous espionage.

Can allies still trust German intelligence? J.C. Lintzenich, Visiting Senior Fellow at the German Marshall Fund of the United States, shares his insights with DW.