UK Jails 2 Men for China Spying, Giving Border Officer 10 Years
Updated
Updated · The Guardian · Jun 18
UK Jails 2 Men for China Spying, Giving Border Officer 10 Years
3 articles · Updated · The Guardian · Jun 18
Summary
Peter Wai, 41, was sentenced to 10 years and Bill Yuen, 66, to eight after an Old Bailey jury convicted them of assisting Chinese intelligence in the first British criminal conviction of its kind.
Wai used his Border Force access to pull sensitive data on dissidents and politicians, while Yuen—a Hong Kong trade office official in London—handled surveillance operations the judge called deliberate and serious.
Targets included exiled activist Nathan Law, another UK-based campaigner whose family faced pressure in mainland China, and figures such as Iain Duncan Smith and Helena Kennedy.
The case, brought under the National Security Act, stemmed partly from a failed 2024 break-in at a Pontefract flat; a co-defendant, Matthew Trickett, later died by suicide after being bailed.
Judge Cheema-Grubb said the operation caused real fear and distress and reflected the UK's growing concern that foreign-state interference now extends beyond classic espionage to monitoring dissidents on British soil.
How did a UK Border Force officer become the first convicted Chinese spy in British history?
What vulnerabilities allowed a foreign agent to operate inside the UK's Home Office for years?
UK Convicts Chinese Agents for Espionage: The Unveiling of Shadow Policing and Its Impact on Hong Kong Diaspora Protection
Overview
In May 2024, Chung Biu "Bill" Yuen and Chi Leung "Peter" Wai were convicted of espionage after police uncovered their involvement in an attempted abduction of a former Hong Kong resident in Yorkshire. Despite their denials, the case exposed a network of clandestine activities targeting dissidents in the UK. The Chinese embassy dismissed the charges as politically motivated, but the UK government responded firmly. Security Minister Dan Jarvis emphasized Britain's commitment to holding China accountable and protecting its citizens, summoning the Chinese ambassador to make clear that such actions would not be tolerated.