It was caused by the illegal transport of more than 360 grams of plutonium on a Lufthansa plane from Moscow to Munich in 1994, instigated by the Federal Intelligence Service (BND) just before the Bavarian Landtag elections.
The BND was mainly criticized for the fact that its initial investigations had resulted in the smuggling of plutonium to Germany, without any safety precautions and ignoring all related concerns.
Further, by involving the Spanish informant Rafael Ferreras Fernandez (alias "Rafa"), the BND had effectively employed an agent of an allied nation, which it is not allowed to do.
[5] Ferreras Fernandez, who had been the link between Peter Fischer-Hollweg, who was stationed as Federal Criminal Police Office and BND representative in Madrid at the time, and the plutonium brokers,[6][7] testified before the committee that the plutonium was smuggled to Munich on 10 August 1994 with the knowledge of the BND in order to stage an arrest at Munich airport that could be exploited politically before the Bavarian Landtag elections and the 1994 federal elections.
Additionally, Ferreras Fernandez stated that he had been put under "enormous" pressure by BND employees before the trial to lie in court, and that he was fearing for his wife's and child's lives.