jasdooit

A group of Chinese spies has received a total of 18 years in prison for conducting ‘shadow policing’ activities within the UK.

UK Border Force officer Peter Wai and retiredHong KongPolice officer Bill Yuen monitored Chinese dissidents in the United Kingdom and prominent MPs who backed them.

In a surprising violation of national security, Wai utilized his special access toHome Officedatabases to provide information toBeijing.

Their behavior constituted a “betrayal of the country that adopted them,” the prosecution stated.

In March, the couple were convicted of aiding a foreign intelligence agency after a two-month court case at the Old Bailey.

The verdicts marked the initial cases involving Chinese espionage in British history.

During a televised sentencing, Judge Mrs. Justice Cheema-Grubbsaid the UK encountered a ‘persistent, active, and frequently hidden interference from foreign state actors’ that ‘poses a danger not only to individual victims but also to the nation’s independence.

She stated that the defendants’ actions were ‘intentional, unified, and earnest, encompassing ‘covert law enforcement activities’, data collection, transmission of private details, and the acquisition of financial information.

The judge criticized Wai’s ‘arrogance’ during his testimony, stating that his improper use of a Home Office database while serving as a UK Border Force official damaged confidence in the immigration system.

Mrs. Cheema-Grubb stated that Wai “consistently downplayed” the significance of data protection regulations and “seemed to view them as non-mandatory.”

She claimed his actions represented a “serious deviation from the expectations placed on a public official” and instead showed a “clear feeling of superiority, believing one could act as they wished.”

Yuen received an eight-year prison term for aiding a foreign intelligence agency.

Wai was given a six-year sentence for the same offense, plus an additional four years for misconduct while holding a public office.

Each of them will spend a minimum of two-thirds of their sentence in prison.

At the trial, Wai, 41, and Yuen, 66—both holding dual Chinese-British nationality—were described as being involved in “firm actions” taken by China to “extend their authority” and view Britain as if it were under their control.

Prosecutors explained that the spy network was part of Operation Fox Hunt, a well-known initiative designed to forcibly repatriate people to China for persecution.

In addition to his role with the Border Force, Wai also served as a City of London special constable while residing in Staines, Surrey, according to the court.

He collected information regarding the directives from former Hong Kong police chief Yuen, who served as the office administrator at the Hong Kong Economic and Trade Office (HKETO) in central London.

The targets comprised a pro-democracy activist named Nathan Law and senior Tory MP Sir Iain Duncan Smith.

The Old Bailey was told that Wai may have been using police computer systems or databases as early as 2018 to collect names, addresses, and other personal information.

In his capacity, Yuen utilized the Hong Kong trade office records to compensate Wai with nearly £100,000 for his services, which he then distributed to a group of sub-contractors.

The couple was taken into custody on May 1, 2024, following a failed effort to track down a target, while the secretive group was being monitored by MI5.

The jury could not come to a decision on whether the two individuals were also involved in foreign interference, which is a distinct offense under the National Security Act.

Former Royal Marine Matthew Trickett was also implicated in the spy network, but he died by suicide in a park in Maidenhead on May 19, 2024, just days after his initial court appearance.

Yuen attended the sentencing at the Old Bailey today wearing a dark suit, white shirt, and tie, whereas Wai was dressed in a white shirt with an open collar.

The hearing was postponed as Wai’s standard courtroom attire went missing.

His lawyer, Aftab Jafferjee, stated that different attire was available, but it was ‘distressing’ for his client to receive a sentence while appearing ‘disheveled’.

Mr. Jafferjee contended that the case did not pertain to ‘spying in the conventional way’ and rejected the notion that it constituted ‘a betrayal’ of Britain.

In defense of Yuen, Jonathan Caplan KC stated that his client was “not acting for a reward” since he received a salary from the trade office.

He mentioned that Yuen was “very proud” to reside in the UK and “held Great Britain in high regard.”

Frank Ferguson, who leads the special crime and counter-terrorism division at the Crown Prosecution Service, stated: ‘These convictions make it clear that transnational repression, foreign interference, unauthorized surveillance, and efforts to function outside the law will not be accepted within Britain.’

Helen Flanagan, the head of Counter Terrorism Policing London, stated: ‘The actions of Wai and Yuen were genuinely disturbing.’

They were monitoring and focusing on people in the UK who supported democracy and were peacefully opposing the Hong Kong and Chinese government, while seeking refuge in the UK.

Read more