A German football coach is said to have been exposed as a spy for Vladimir Putin's Russia – plotting to help them win the war against Ukraine.
Carsten Linke, 52, split his time between being a volunteer youth coach at TSV Weilheim sports club in his German hometown, and as an agent for Germany's intelligence service – the BND. But it has emerged Linke has been working undercover to provide sensitive information to Russia that could give them the edge over Ukraine on the battlefield, The Telegraph reported.
Before his cover was blown in December 2022, when he was allegedly identified as the double agent who was arrested for treason, Linke reportedly coached several youth teams. And parents who he told that he was a soldier, described him as a father figure to the young talent he was honing on the pitch.
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But despite his dedication to the role, Linke would go missing for months to attend to his agent position within the BND in Berlin, Der Spiegel reported. When he was in the town of Weilheim, Linke organised events for the youngsters on weekends, and it was at one of the food cooking events where Linke supposedly met his Russian counterpart Mr. Arthur E, and started to hand over sensitive government documents, it was added.
The conniving pair struck a bond as they both served time in the German army, and that budding relationship ostensibly culminated in Linke exchanging dossiers pertaining to casualties on the battlefield in Ukraine to Mr.E, which also included vital information for Russia on how Western intelligence agencies spy on their communications.
Linke had access to such information as he was a high-ranking member in the BND, where he was in command of spying units, and responsible for foreign communications, and internal security regiments, it was claimed. And Linke was so revered within the intelligence agency, it is said he was in line to become one of BND's top officials.
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But that was before the walls came crashing down on his covert operation after his deceit was uncovered following a tip-off from a foreign intelligence agency, it was reported. And the tip-off led to Linke, who was known as 'Carsten L, arrest on charges of state treason after a foreign agency found a German intelligence document among Russian data. It's been alleged he abused his position to hand over information to Russia at least twice last autumn, with the assistance of a courier.
It's also been claimed Linke was connected to Germany's far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) party, who seek peace talks immediately with Russia. And Afd pamphlets were allegedly found in Linke's locker at the football club, although that remains unconfirmed.
Investigators believe Linke was working alone although he allegedly used other BND agents to complete his missions unbeknownst to them. However, Mr. E has claimed that he met another BND agent at Munich Airport, who helped get him past customs when he returned from Russia.
Mr.E has also been apprehended and is believed to be fully co-operating with the authorities. And in his confession, Mr.E is reportedly alleging that he was duped by Mr Linke into believing he was on a secret mission for the German government.
He also admitted to visiting Moscow on two occasions in October and November last year, to hand over to FSB agents during dinner. And in return, Mr.E claims he was given money in exchange for the information.
The fallout from the scandal has had deep ramifications across the globe and could have major implications for the BND' relationships worldwide. The British intelligence service is reportedly the "most incensed" and are said to be considering whether they will continue to provide the German organisation with highly classified information, according to BND expert Erich Schmidt-Eenboom, who shared his thoughts with The Sunday Telegraph.
However, the intricate details of Linke's case are being kept under wraps as Foreign intelligence chief Bruno Kahl believes that releasing more information about the proceedings may benefit Russia. And Federal prosecutors also refused to reveal whether the information was shared with Russia before or after the invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, plus, German authorities have embargoed any information that could alert the Kremlin to surrounding spy activity.
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