A former U.K. Border Force officer, Peter Wai, 41, and retired Hong Kong superintendent Bill Yuen, 66, were sentenced to 10 and eight years respectively after being convicted of assisting a foreign intelligence service. Prosecutors said they posed as police or intelligence agents to surveil Hong Kong dissidents and critics of Beijing in the U.K., including Nathan Law. Wai was also found guilty of misconduct for misusing a government computer to gather information. The convictions prompted diplomatic protests from China and denials from Hong Kong officials.
Ex-UK Border Officer and Retired Hong Kong Superintendent Jailed Over Spy Network Targeting Dissidents in Britain
FILE - Chi Leung "Peter)"Wai leaves The Old Bailey in London on May 24, 2024. (AP Photo/Kirsty Wigglesworth, File)(AP Photo/Kirsty Wigglesworth)
LONDON — A former U.K. Border Force officer and a retired Hong Kong police superintendent were sentenced Thursday after a jury found them guilty of spying on Hong Kong dissidents and critics of Beijing who had taken refuge in Britain.
Peter Wai, 41, and Bill Yuen, 66, were convicted of breaching the National Security Act by assisting a foreign intelligence service. In addition, Wai was found guilty of misconduct in a public office for using a government computer to obtain information on people of interest to Hong Kong authorities, prosecutors said.
Prosecutors said the pair posed as police or intelligence officers to conduct surveillance and gather intelligence on pro-democracy campaigners, including former Hong Kong lawmaker Nathan Law, activists they disparagingly described as "cockroaches," and British politicians who had been publicly critical of the Chinese government.
At London’s Central Criminal Court, Judge Bobbie Cheema-Grubb sentenced Wai to 10 years in prison and Yuen to eight years, saying their actions were "deliberate, concerted, and serious" and had left those targeted feeling fearful and distressed.
Wai previously served as a Metropolitan Police officer before joining the U.K. Border Force. Yuen worked as office manager at the Hong Kong Economic and Trade Office in London, the territory’s official overseas representative.
"The activity of Wai and Yuen was truly chilling," said Helen Flanagan, commander for Counter Terrorism Policing London. "They were spying on and targeting individuals in the U.K. who were pro-democracy campaigners, peacefully protesting and seeking sanctuary."
The convictions prompted a diplomatic response: Chinese Ambassador Zheng Zeguang was summoned to the British Foreign Office. China’s embassy in London denounced the prosecution as a political farce aimed at supporting anti-China forces, while the Hong Kong government said the allegations were "absolutely unrelated" to its administration or the Economic and Trade Office and accused British authorities of abusing the law to secure a conviction.
This case marks a rare criminal finding in the U.K. that individuals assisted a foreign intelligence service to target people on British soil, and it has highlighted tensions between the U.K. and Chinese and Hong Kong officials over political activity by exiled activists.
A previous version of this story corrected the day of week.
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