A British academic suspected of spying for China was detained at Heathrow Airport with £4,000 in his suitcase, it has emerged. Christopher Berry, 33, from Witney, Oxfordshire, was stopped by police under terrorism laws in February 2023 after arriving from China.
Six weeks later, he was formally arrested on suspicion of spying. The cash is believed to have been given to him by his Chinese intelligence handler, known only as 'Alex'. It remains unclear whether the money was seized or what currency it was in.
Berry was stopped under Schedule 3 of the Counter-Terrorism and Border Security Act 2019, which allows police to intervene in suspected 'hostile activity' linked to a foreign state. His phone and laptop were seized, leading to his connection with parliamentary researcher Chris Cash.
Prosecutors alleged that a Chinese agent hired Berry to produce at least 34 reports on politically sensitive topics, ten of which were considered prejudicial to national security. However, charges against both Berry and Cash were dropped last month.
Berry has denied wrongdoing, stating he was 'unfairly subjected to a trial by media'. The Chinese Embassy described the allegations as 'pure fabrication and malicious slander'.
