Two men convicted of spying for China in UK

Two men have been convicted of offences under the National Security Act 2023 after a Counter Terrorism Policing investigation found they had been illegally gathering information on behalf of Hong Kong and Chinese authorities, targeting pro-democracy campaigners based in the United Kingdom, the UK Defence Journal understands.

Chi Leung Wai, 40, of Staines-upon-Thames, and Chung Biu Yuen, 65, of Hackney, were found guilty at the Old Bailey on 7 May of assisting a foreign intelligence service under the National Security Act. The jury was unable to reach a verdict on separate charges of foreign interference against both men. Wai was additionally convicted of misconduct in public office, relating to his misuse of Home Office systems accessed during his time as a Border Force officer. Both men are due to be sentenced at the Old Bailey on a date yet to be confirmed.

The case centred on a network of individuals carrying out surveillance and harassment activity in the UK at the direction of Hong Kong authorities. The investigation came to a head on 1 May 2024, when police arrested nine people at a flat in Pontefract, West Yorkshire. The property belonged to a woman who had moved to the UK from Hong Kong in 2023 and had been accused of fraud by a former employer, an accusation she denied. A group that included her former employer, Wai, a man named Matthew Trickett, and two former Hong Kong police officers had travelled to the flat the previous day.

They attempted to gain entry by posing as maintenance workers and poured water under the door claiming a leak, before forcing entry themselves. Counter Terrorism Police officers, who were already conducting a surveillance operation against the group, arrived shortly after and made the arrests. Yuen, who had been coordinating with the group remotely from London, was also arrested.

The subsequent investigation involved the forensic examination of digital devices and analysis of more than 20 terabytes of data, including thousands of messages across multiple languages. Detectives established that Yuen, in his role as head of the Hong Kong Economic and Trade Office, was receiving tasking requests from Hong Kong authorities and passing them on to Wai and Trickett for execution. Evidence recovered from Trickett’s phone demonstrated both men’s awareness of who they were targeting and the connection to Hong Kong authorities, and showed Yuen making payments to the pair despite his claims of non-involvement.

Investigators also found specific instances where a request for information on an individual passed from Hong Kong to Yuen was then relayed to Wai, who subsequently conducted illicit checks on that person using Home Office systems.

Trickett was charged alongside Wai and Yuen on 12 May 2024 but was found deceased in a park in Maidenhead on 19 May 2024, after being released on bail. An inquest into his death is expected following the conclusion of the current proceedings.

Commander Helen Flanagan, Head of Counter Terrorism Policing London, described the activity as sinister. “Our investigation found they were spying for the Hong Kong authorities, targeting UK-based pro-democracy campaigners. It is completely unacceptable for anyone to carry out this kind of activity on behalf of a foreign state here in the UK,” she said. “I hope this outcome provides reassurance to those living in the UK who may be concerned about being targeted by any foreign state, that we will do everything we can to help keep them safe.”

Flanagan also issued a direct warning to those engaged in private investigation work with potential links to foreign states. “This case should serve as a stark warning to anyone who might be involved in any private investigation work, that you must be very sure this is not being done for the benefit of a foreign state. If and where that happens, then you will likely face investigation, arrest and potential prosecution under the National Security Act.”