Border Force Inspector and Trade Office Manager Sentenced for UK Espionage
A British border official and a Hong Kong representative have been imprisoned for carrying out intelligence operations targeting democracy advocates living in Britain.
Border Force Inspector and Trade Office Manager Sentenced for UK Espionage
A British border official and a Hong Kong representative have been imprisoned for carrying out intelligence operations targeting democracy advocates living in Britain.
Chi Leung Wai, 41, employed as a Home Office inspector, was ordered to serve ten years. Chung Biu Yuen, 66, who worked at a trade office in London, received eight years. Both were convicted in May under legislation enacted in 2023 to counter threats to national security.
The case emerged from a raid on a property in Pontefract last spring. A group including Wai had forced their way into a residence belonging to a woman who had fled Hong Kong. The intruders pretended to be repair staff and used water to simulate a plumbing emergency in an effort to make her open the door.
Specialist officers intervened and arrested those present. During subsequent examination of electronic devices, detectives discovered Yuen had been directing Wai and another operative to watch individuals critical of Beijing's policies. Communications showed requests originating from contacts connected to Hong Kong's administration were passed through Yuen to the surveillance team.
Wai abused his government position to look up confidential information about Chinese nationals on internal databases. He insisted his work was legitimate private security, but messages recovered from his associate's handset showed he knew the true purpose of the assignments. Financial records also indicated Yuen was compensating the operatives.
The inquiry required analysts to process more than 20 terabytes of material spanning numerous languages. Wai's sentence comprised six years for the security violations plus four additional years for abusing his public role. His co-defendant, Matthew Trickett, was found dead in a park weeks after being released on bail while awaiting trial.
The senior officer overseeing the case stated the sentences send a clear message that Britain will take firm action against anyone acting on behalf of foreign powers to intimidate or gather information on residents.
Source: Counter Terrorism Policing
Source: Google News UK — Crime (en)