Men 'who spied for Chinese intelligence' face February trial

by · Mail Online

A UK Border Force officer and a trade official accused of breaching the National spying for Chinese intelligence appeared in court today.

Chi Leung Wai, 39, also known as Peter Wai, who worked at London Heathrow Airport as a Border Force officer and a City of London special constable, is accused of carrying out surveillance and hostile reconnaissance.

He is charged alongside retired Hong Kong police officer Chung Biu Yuen, 64, also known as Billy Yuen, who is employed as an office manager of Hong Kong's economic and trade office in London.

Wai and Yuen, who both wore suits, raised their hands to confirm their identities from the dock when they appeared in court today.

A trial date was set at Kingston Crown Court for February 10 and the defendants will be required to attend the next hearing at the Old Bailey on November 22.

Wai, of Staines-upon-Thames, Surrey, and Yuen, of Hackney, east London, were released on bail.

They are accused of 'hostile activity which includes information-gathering, hostile surveillance, acts of deception and forcing entry into a UK residential address.'

The 'primary targets' are said to be pro-democracy campaigners from the Hong Kong diaspora now based in the UK.

Chi Leung Wai (pictured), 39, also known as Peter Wai, who worked at London Heathrow Airport as a Border Force officer and a City of London special constable, is accused of carrying out surveillance and hostile reconnaissance
He is charged alongside retired Hong Kong police officer Chung Biu Yuen, 64, also known as Billy Yuen (pictured outside court today), who is employed as an office manager of Hong Kong's economic and trade office in London
Chi Leung Wai, pictured in a police uniform, volunteered as a special constable for the City of London Police

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They are alleged to have broken into the home of one of their targets in Pontefract, West Yorkshire, on May 1 this year.

The investigation involved the Met's Counter Terrorism Command along with the North East and South East Counter Terrorism Policing Units.

Wai and Yuen stand charged with allegedly assisting a foreign intelligence service between December 20, 2023 and May 2, 2024 by engaging in conduct, namely agreeing to undertake information-gathering, surveillance and acts of deception.

They also face a second charge of foreign interference on May 1, 2024, by engaging in 'prohibited conduct, namely, forcing entry into a UK residential address'.

They have been allowed bail subject to conditions including residence, curfews between 10pm-5am and reporting at relevant police stations.

They also include surrendering their passports, not applying for any international travel documents, not entering any international travel hubs and not being in possession of any travel documents.

This case is the first time that anyone has been charged with spying on British soil for the Hong Kong intelligence service.

The men were charged under the new National Security Act brought in last year to target those working secretly for hostile states within the UK.