A former Border Force officer and his alleged handler have been sentenced to prison after being convicted of carrying out surveillance activities against Hong Kong pro-democracy activists living in the United Kingdom on behalf of Chinese authorities.
Chi Leung “Peter” Wai, 40, was jailed for a total of 10 years, while Chung Biu “Bill” Yuen, 65, received an eight-year prison sentence after both men were found guilty of assisting a foreign intelligence service under the UK’s National Security Act.
Wai was also convicted of misconduct in public office after using his position within the Border Force to access sensitive Home Office databases and obtain information about individuals living in Britain.
During sentencing at the Old Bailey on Thursday, Mrs Justice Cheema-Grubb told the pair that their actions posed a serious threat to national sovereignty and security.
Investigators described the operation as a covert surveillance campaign allegedly conducted on behalf of Hong Kong authorities and, by extension, the Chinese state.
Wai, a dual British-Hong Kong citizen from Staines-upon-Thames, previously served with the Metropolitan Police before joining Border Force at Heathrow Airport in December 2020. Prosecutors said he exploited his access to government systems to gather information on targeted individuals and pass it to his contacts.
For his offences, Wai received six years in prison for assisting a foreign intelligence service and an additional four years for misconduct in public office.
Yuen, a former Hong Kong police officer who later worked as office manager at the Hong Kong Economic and Trade Office in London, was identified by prosecutors as Wai’s link to Chinese authorities.
The case has raised concerns about foreign interference and the monitoring of political activists residing in Britain.
Commander Helen Flanagan, Head of Counter Terrorism Policing London, said the convictions demonstrate that attempts by foreign states to operate covertly within the UK will be met with firm action.
She stressed that authorities would continue to identify and prosecute individuals working on behalf of foreign governments who threaten national security.
The UK government also responded strongly to the verdict. Security Minister Angela Eagle said Britain would continue holding China accountable for actions that place people in the country at risk, including efforts targeting Hong Kong activists overseas.
However, a spokesperson for the Hong Kong government rejected the allegations, describing them as unfounded and politically motivated. The spokesperson also denied that the Hong Kong administration or its London trade office had any involvement in the activities outlined during the trial.
Several Hong Kong pro-democracy activists attended the sentencing hearing, including individuals who have reportedly been targeted by arrest warrants and financial bounties issued by authorities in Hong Kong.
Evidence presented during the trial revealed that Wai had maintained contact with former Hong Kong police intelligence chief Eddie Ma and had allegedly shared information about dissidents and other individuals of interest.
Jurors also heard that British politicians, including Conservative MP Iain Duncan Smith, were among those who received special attention during the intelligence-gathering operation.
The court further heard that Wai recruited former Royal Marine Matthew Trickett to assist with surveillance activities involving prominent Hong Kong activist Nathan Law.
Trickett was later charged under the National Security Act alongside Wai and Yuen but was found dead in what authorities believe was a suicide before the case concluded. An inquest into his death is scheduled for November.
Counter-terrorism investigators said the inquiry involved analysing more than 20 terabytes of digital evidence, including thousands of messages in multiple languages.
Prosecutors argued that the actions of Wai and Yuen were deliberate, coordinated and intended to benefit foreign interests.
The convictions are among the most significant cases brought under the UK’s National Security Act and are expected to serve as a warning against foreign interference, unauthorised surveillance and transnational repression on British soil.
