Two men have been found guilty of conducting 'shadow policing' operations for China on British soil, targeting pro-democracy protesters and Hong Kong dissidents. Peter Wai, 38, a Border Force official and former Royal Navy member, and Bill Yuen, 65, a retired Hong Kong police superintendent, were convicted on Thursday at the Old Bailey under the National Security Act. Wai was also found guilty of misconduct in public office for illegally searching the Home Office computer system for individuals of interest to Hong Kong authorities.
Surveillance and Intimidation
The court heard that Wai gathered intelligence on orders from Yuen, who worked as a senior manager at the Hong Kong Economic Trade Office (HKETO) in London. Targets included Hong Kong dissidents and pro-democracy protesters living in the UK, with special attention paid to British politicians such as senior Tory MP Sir Iain Duncan Smith. Prominent campaigner Nathan Law, who has a one million Hong Kong dollar bounty on his head, was photographed leaving the Oxford Union during a surveillance operation. Another protester testified that Wai threatened him with arrest for confronting a Hong Kong diplomat outside the Guildhall in London.
The Pontefract Operation
The defendants' activities were exposed on 1 May 2024 when police foiled an attempt to abduct Monica Kwong, a former Hong Kong resident, from her flat in Pontefract, West Yorkshire. Kwong had left Hong Kong in 2023 amid allegations of involvement in a £16 million fraud, which she claimed was a setup by her former employer. Wai misused his Home Office access to locate Kwong, then organized a team to break into her home using deception and force. Among the team was Matthew Trickett, a Home Office immigration officer and ex-Royal Marine, who posed as an electrician and simulated a flood to lure Kwong out. Police, alerted to the plot, were inside the flat when the team broke in, leading to 11 arrests, including two former Royal Marines, Beijing-based Australian businesswoman Tina Zou, and another retired Hong Kong police superintendent.
Legal Proceedings and Aftermath
The jury failed to reach a verdict on charges of foreign interference related to the forced entry, and the Crown declined to seek a retrial. Both defendants were remanded in custody, with sentencing scheduled for 15 May. Matthew Trickett, who was also charged under the National Security Act, was found dead in woodland near Maidenhead, Berkshire, a week after his arrest. Wai, from Staines-upon-Thames, and Yuen, from Hackney, denied all charges. Wai claimed his fake police superintendent card was for impressing friends, not intimidation, and said his intelligence-sharing chat group was related to a film project by his lion dancing master. Yuen insisted his role at HKETO was limited to building security and that he believed Wai was a genuine high-ranking officer.
