Sentencing of Men for Assisting Chinese Intelligence
Two men convicted of working for Chinese intelligence services in the United Kingdom have been sentenced to prison terms. Chi Leung "Peter" Wai, aged 40, received a 10-year sentence, while Chung Biu "Bill" Yuen, aged 65, was sentenced to eight years. Both were found guilty of assisting a foreign intelligence service, an offence under the National Security Act.
Wai, who served as a Border Force officer, exploited his access to the Home Office computer system to monitor Hong Kong dissidents residing in the UK. He was also convicted of misconduct in public office. During the sentencing at the Old Bailey on Thursday, the judge emphasized that their actions
"threaten the sovereignty of the state".
The convictions followed a trial held last month.
Background and Roles of the Convicted Men
Chi Leung Wai is a former UK police officer who began his role as a Border Force officer at Heathrow Airport in December 2020. Utilizing his access to an extensive database containing information about foreign nationals in the UK, Wai traced Hong Kong residents who had fled pro-democracy crackdowns, providing this intelligence to his Chinese contacts.
Chung Biu Yuen, a former Hong Kong police officer, later worked as the office manager of the Hong Kong Economic and Trade Office in London. He acted as Wai's liaison with Chinese authorities.
Upon commencing his duties at Heathrow, Wai sent a message to Eddie Ma, the former chief superintendent of Hong Kong Police's Criminal Intelligence Bureau, who maintained connections with the Chinese state. Wai's message stated,
"Will not let any cockroaches in,"referring to dissidents.
Surveillance and Targeting of Individuals
During the May trial, evidence revealed that particular attention was directed toward British politicians, including Conservative MP Sir Iain Duncan Smith.
Wai holds dual British and Hong Kong passports and has held various positions, including as an officer with the Metropolitan Police from 2015 to 2019. His career also includes eight years in the Royal Navy and work providing security for events in Chinatown. Additionally, Wai established his own company, D5 Security.
After leaving the Metropolitan Police, Wai volunteered as a constable for the City of London Police.
The court also heard that Wai involved another Border Force officer, Matthew Trickett, an ex-Royal Marine, in the surveillance activities targeting Hong Kong dissidents. Trickett was found dead in a suspected suicide shortly after their arrest by counter-terrorism police. An inquest into his death is scheduled for November.
Context of Political Repression and Bounties
In 2023, John Lee Ka-chiu, the Chief Executive of Hong Kong and its highest-ranking politician, announced bounties of HK$1 million (approximately £100,000) on certain pro-democracy campaigners.
In November 2023, Wai instructed Trickett to arrange surveillance of Nathan Law, a prominent Hong Kong activist who was speaking at the Oxford Union student society. Law was among those with a HK$1 million bounty on his head.
Official Statements and Legal Outcomes
Bethan David, Head of the Counter Terrorism Division at the Crown Prosecution Service, stated that Wai and Yuen's actions were
"deliberate, coordinated and carried out with full knowledge of who it would benefit".
David further 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."
The jury was unable to reach a verdict on a charge against both men concerning foreign interference involving forced entry into the West Yorkshire home of an alleged fraud suspect originally from Hong Kong.
