German prosecutors said Wednesday they have detained a British citizen accused of spying for Russia while working at the British Embassy in Berlin. Federal prosecutors said in a statement that the 57-year-old was detained Tuesday in Potsdam, southwest of the capital, based on cooperative investigations by German and British authorities, per the AP. He was only identified as Davis S. Prosecutors said he is suspected of having spied for the Russian intelligence service at least since November. Before his arrest, he worked as a local hire at the British Embassy in the German capital and allegedly passed on documents he received at work to the Russians, prosecutors said. The British government described the incident in a statement saying that "an individual who was contracted to work for the government was arrested yesterday by the German authorities."
Britain's Metropolitan Police said "the man was arrested in the Berlin area on suspicion of committing offenses relating to being engaged in 'Intelligence Agent activity.'" "Primacy for the investigation remains with German authorities," the Met added, noting officers with the Met's Counter Terrorism Command, responsible for investigating alleged breaches of the Official Secrets Act, "continue to liaise with German counterparts." The Russian authorities have not yet publicly commented on the man's detention. German prosecutors said the suspect, to appear before an investigating judge on Wednesday, received an unknown amount of cash in return for his alleged spying activities. Investigators have searched his home and office, the statement added. A spokesman for Germany's foreign ministry says spying by "a close alliance partner on German soil is unacceptable," per the BBC.
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