UK Border Force officer was 'working for China', court told

A court at the Old Bailey has heard allegations that a UK Border Force officer took part in covert surveillance targeting Chinese nationals residing in Britain. This operation, described by the prosecution as a “shadow policing” activity, appears to have been orchestrated with links extending from Hong Kong. Central to the case are Chi Leung “Peter” Wai, a Border Force officer, and Chung Biu “Bill” Yuen, a retired Hong Kong police officer employed at the Hong Kong Economic and Trade Office (HKETO) in London. Both men face charges under the National Security Act.

Testimony revealed that Wai and Yuen coordinated efforts to monitor individuals, many of whom were dissidents opposing the Chinese government. Evidence presented in court included footage of a woman in Pontefract, filmed answering her door in pink pyjamas, as part of the surveillance. Duncan Atkinson KC characterized the alleged scheme as involving “persons connected with the Hong Kong authorities acting as if Pontefract were a town in China rather than Yorkshire.” Alongside Wai and Yuen, a second UK Border Force officer, Matthew Trickett, was implicated; he was found dead in May 2024 after being released on bail.

Through his roles, including as a volunteer special constable with the City of London Police and previous employment with the Metropolitan Police, Wai had access to the Home Office’s immigration database, Atlas. The court heard that he improperly used this system on his days off to obtain information about Chinese dissidents. Wai also operated a private security company, D5 Security, and reportedly subcontracted tasks to Trickett, who owned his own security business. When these men were arrested, investigators discovered a so-called “Surveillance Report” concerning a woman named Monica Kwong, who had fled Hong Kong in 2023 amidst fraud accusations she claimed were fabricated.

The report detailed instructions for undisclosed investigative techniques and surveillance of Kwong, including following her movements and capturing photographic and video evidence. It also suggested the intruders accessed Kwong’s flats and examined her mail to identify her son. The prosecution presented evidence that Wai misused the Atlas database to gather further information about Kwong and her child, describing this as “a further misuse of the database… not for legitimate UK purposes but for the benefit of persons in Hong Kong.” Yuen was said to have provided Wai with detailed data about Kwong’s son, including passport information and school attendance, and communicated these details to Wing Cheun Cheuk, a police officer in Hong Kong.

The court heard that in early 2024, a man involved in Kwong’s surveillance delivered a package while secretly filming her, with the video and address subsequently shared by Wai and Yuen to contacts overseas. Yuen referred to Wai by the nickname “fatboy” in correspondence. Describing the operation, the prosecution noted, “It was a shadow operation being undertaken without the knowledge of the UK authorities, as if Monica Kwong was in Hong Kong not Yorkshire.” Later, Trickett became more involved, assembling a team and employing tactical surveillance methods, as revealed through WhatsApp messages. One such video shown to the jury captured Kwong and her son answering their door in pajamas, filmed covertly. Another piece of footage dated 30 April showed Trickett and others, including Kwong’s former employer who had accused her of fraud, approaching her flat under deceptive pretenses involving fake maintenance notices. The prosecution stated that after repeated attempts, Trickett poured water beneath the door and that the door was forced open later that night.

Following the arrests on 1 May, Wai was found in possession of his official City of London special police officer warrant card and a counterfeit superintendent card. Trickett’s death in May occurred after his bail release and amid charges. Both Wai and Yuen deny allegations of assisting a foreign intelligence service and engaging in foreign interference. Wai additionally contests a charge of misconduct in public office related to misuse of government databases. The trial is anticipated to continue for six to seven weeks

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