An Afghan-Danish national arrested in Denmark for spying on behalf of Iran’s Revolutionary Guards had traveled covertly to Iran after gathering intelligence on Jewish sites in Berlin, German newspaper Bild reported Sunday.
According to Bild, the 53-year-old suspect, identified as Ali S., entered Iran in June 2025 under the cover of a family trip to Turkey.
He allegedly delivered surveillance photos, videos, and detailed information about potential targets in Berlin to a Quds Force officer in Tehran. He then left Iran using forged documents, avoiding any entry or exit stamps in his Danish passport.
The intelligence, Bild reported, included back entrances, security patrols, and suggested locations for placing incendiary devices or explosives. German authorities now believe he was planning or facilitating attacks on Jewish institutions in Germany.
According to the report, Ali S. had traveled to Berlin between June 4 and 6 with his wife and children, during which time German intelligence monitored him closely.
Bild said investigators observed him photographing at least ten sites, including the German-Israeli Society, the office of Josef Schuster—head of the Central Council of Jews in Germany—an Israeli restaurant, and a kosher supermarket near Kurfürstendamm.
Danish intelligence services first flagged the suspect after intercepting online messages between him and a known Quds Force officer.
German authorities then launched full surveillance and bugged his residence in Aarhus. After returning from Iran on June 23, he told his family he had handed over the intelligence to his handler in Tehran—information captured through wiretaps, according to Bild.
Germany’s Federal Prosecutor Jens Rommel issued an arrest warrant on June 24, saying Ali S. is “strongly suspected of working for a foreign intelligence service.” He now faces charges of espionage and planning attacks in Germany.
Bild report said the case is considered one of the most significant discoveries of Iranian intelligence activity on German soil in recent years.
