UK Court Sentences Two for Spying on Hong Kong Dissidents

A British court has sentenced two dual Chinese-British nationals to prison for spying on Hong Kong dissidents residing in the UK. The court described their actions as "deliberate, concerted, and serious."

Peter Wai, 40, a former UK Border Force official, received a 10-year prison sentence, while Bill Yuen, 65, a retired Hong Kong police officer, was sentenced to eight years. Judge Bobbie Cheema-Grub, presiding at London’s Old Bailey court, stated that their activities amounted to “shadow policing” on behalf of China and caused “real and significant” harm, leaving victims in “fear and distress.”

Both men were convicted in May following a two-month trial under national security laws for assisting a foreign intelligence service. Additionally, Wai was found guilty of misconduct in a public office.

Prosecutors revealed that Wai had accessed the UK Home Office computer system to search for individuals of interest to Hong Kong authorities. Before joining the UK Border Force, Wai had served in the British police and the Royal Navy. Evidence presented during the trial showed that Wai gathered intelligence under the direction of Yuen, who was a senior manager at the Hong Kong Economic Trade Office (HKETO) in London, an entity representing Hong Kong’s government.