Men jailed over work for Chinese intelligence in UK

Two individuals employed by Chinese intelligence in the United Kingdom have been sentenced to prison following their convictions. Chi Leung “Peter” Wai, aged 40, received a 10-year sentence, while 65-year-old Chung Biu “Bill” Yuen was handed an eight-year term. Both were found guilty of supporting a foreign intelligence service, violating the National Security Act.

Wai, who worked as a Border Force officer, exploited his access to the Home Office computer system to monitor Hong Kong dissidents residing in the UK. Additionally, he was convicted of misconduct in public office. At the Old Bailey, during sentencing, Mrs Justice Cheema-Grubb emphasized the gravity of their actions, stating they “threaten the sovereignty of the state.” The trial revealed that the pair engaged in what law enforcement described as a “shadow policing operation,” executed on behalf of Hong Kong authorities and, by extension, the Chinese government.

The case has sparked serious concerns about foreign interference within the UK and the ability of hostile nations to collect intelligence on people living in Britain. Commander Helen Flanagan, Head of Counter Terrorism Policing London, commented on the matter, asserting that such conduct will not be tolerated. “I want to be really clear that if you are working on behalf of a foreign state, that we in counter-terrorism policing and with our partners will identify who you are and bring the full force of the National Security Act upon you,” she stated.

Wai’s background includes service as a UK police officer before becoming a Border Force official at Heathrow Airport in December 2020. With access to a comprehensive database containing information on foreign nationals, he traced Hong Kong residents who fled political crackdowns for the benefit of Chinese contacts. Yuen, formerly a Hong Kong police officer and later the office manager at the Hong Kong Economic and Trade Office in London, served as Wai’s conduit to Chinese authorities. Notably, Wai communicated with Eddie Ma, a former senior Hong Kong police officer still connected with Beijing, saying, “Will not let any cockroaches in.” The court also heard during the trial that British politicians, including Conservative MP Sir Iain Duncan Smith, received particular scrutiny.

Wai, a holder of both British and Hong Kong passports, has held various roles throughout his career, including being a Metropolitan Police officer from 2015 to 2019, a Royal Navy serviceman, and working in private security in London’s Chinatown. Following his time at the Met, he volunteered with the City of London Police. The investigation further revealed that Wai involved a fellow Border Force officer, Matthew Trickett, an ex-Royal Marine, in the surveillance activities targeting Hong Kong dissidents. Trickett died in a suspected suicide shortly after their arrest, with an inquest scheduled for November.

This case also intersected with recent political developments in Hong Kong, where in 2023, the chief executive, John Lee Ka-chiu, placed HK$1 million bounties on certain pro-democracy activists. One such activist, Nathan Law, was surveilled by Trickett during an event at the Oxford Union in late 2023. Bethan David, Head of the Counter Terrorism Division at the Crown Prosecution Service, described Wai and Yuen’s actions as “deliberate, coordinated and carried out with full knowledge of who it would benefit.” She added, “These convictions send a clear message that transnational repression, foreign interference, unauthorised surveillance, and attempts to operate outside the law will not be tolerated on British soil.” However, the jury was unable to reach a verdict on charges related to an alleged forced entry into a home in West Yorkshire linked to an alleged fraud suspect from Hong Kong

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