German spy working under diplomatic cover dies in Islamabad

BERLIN

A German diplomat, who was found dead in Pakistan's capital last week, was an experienced intelligence officer, media reported Monday.

According to Germany’s mass-selling daily Bild, Thomas B. was a veteran employee of the country's foreign intelligence service, the BND, and was known for his expertise in crisis regions.

The 58-year-old German official was posted to Islamabad three and a half years ago as second secretary at the German Embassy, though he was actually an undercover intelligence officer, according to the report.

Embassy staff members discovered him dead in his apartment in Islamabad after he had been absent from work for two days. The official's last known communication was a WhatsApp message sent Saturday evening.

According to Pakistan's news agency APP, preliminary investigations revealed that the German official had a history of heart problems, which investigators consider a possible cause of death. Police said they would determine the exact cause after receiving the autopsy report.