Chinese spies jailed in London for running secret “shadow policing” operation in landmark espionage case

Key Points

• Peter Wai, 41, a former UK Border Force officer and ex-Metropolitan Police special constable, was jailed for 10 years for spying for China
• Bill Yuen, 66, a retired Hong Kong police superintendent and office manager at the Hong Kong Economic Trade Office (HKETO) in London, was sentenced to eight years
• Both dual Chinese-British nationals were convicted of assisting a foreign intelligence service under the National Security Act 2023, marking the first convictions of Chinese spies in British history
• The pair conducted “shadow policing” operations targeting Hong Kong pro-democracy protesters living in the UK, including prominent campaigner Nathan Law who has a £95,680 bounty on his head
• Wai misused the Home Office computer system to find people of interest to Hong Kong authorities and was also convicted of misconduct in a public office
• The espionage case was exposed following a failed bid to snatch £16 million fraud suspect Monica Kwong from her flat in Pontefract, West Yorkshire, on 1 May 2024
• Mrs Justice Cheema-Grubb described the defendants’ actions as “deliberate, concerted and serious” with Wai showing an “arrogant” attitude and “sense of entitlement”
• Matthew Trickett, 37, an immigration enforcement officer and ex-Royal Marine who was charged alongside Wai and Yuen, killed himself in woodland near Maidenhead, Berkshire, a week after being charged
• The case targets included British politicians, with “special attention” paid to senior Tory MP Sir Iain Duncan Smith
• Commander Helen Flanagan of Counter Terrorism Policing London said the activity was “truly chilling” as they targeted pro-democracy campaigners seeking sanctuary in the UK
• Frank Ferguson from the Crown Prosecution Service stated the convictions send a clear message that transnational repression and foreign interference will not be tolerated on British soil
• Wai had previously worked as a frontline uniformed Metropolitan Police officer in Hounslow between February 2015 and April 2019 when he resigned under misconduct investigation

London (Britain Today News) June 18, 2026 – A former British immigration official and a retired Hong Kong police officer have been jailed for spying for China in a landmark espionage case that marks the first convictions under the National Security Act in British history. Peter Wai, 41, of Staines-upon-Thames, Surrey, was sentenced to 10 years in prison, while Bill Yuen, 66, from Hackney, east London, was jailed for eight years on Thursday at the Old Bailey following a two-month trial.

The dual Chinese-British nationals were convicted of assisting a foreign intelligence service after conducting “shadow policing” operations on Hong Kong pro-democracy protesters living in the UK on the orders of handler Bill Yuen, as reported by the Guardian. Mrs Justice Cheema-Grubb, in a televised sentencing, told the defendants:

“Both of you played significant roles in the enterprise, which was primarily motivated by your enduring affinity with, or loyalty to, the Chinese state despite your dual British-Hong Kong citizenship”.

What Exactly Was the ‘Shadow Policing’ Operation?

As reported by Duncan Atkinson, the prosecutor in the case, Yuen and Wai had been tasked to carry out “shadow policing operations” for the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, ultimately serving Chinese interests, according to CNN. The operation involved covert surveillance and intelligence gathering on pro-democracy activists who had sought sanctuary in the UK after fleeing Hong Kong amid concerns over democracy protests.

Peter Wai accessed the Home Office database to gather intelligence while on sick leave and days off from his position at UK Border Force at Heathrow airport, as detailed in court proceedings reported by the Independent. His targets included Hong Kong dissidents with “special attention” paid to British politicians, including senior Tory MP Sir Iain Duncan Smith, according to multiple media reports.

Prominent campaigner Nathan Law, who has a one million Hong Kong dollar bounty on his head (equivalent to £95,680), was pictured leaving the Oxford Union during one surveillance operation, as Jurist reported. Wai referred to Hong Kongers as “cockroaches” as he gathered information on what cars they were driving, where they lived, and their social media accounts.

How Did the Espionage Case Come to Light?

The dual nationals were arrested after a failed bid to snatch £16 million fraud suspect Monica Kwong from her flat in Pontefract, West Yorkshire, on 1 May 2024, as reported by multiple outlets including AOL and CNN. Personal assistant Ms Kwong had left Hong Kong with her young son in 2023 amid accusations of involvement in a £16 million fraud, which she denied, claiming she had been “set up” by her influential ex-employer, businesswoman Tina Zou, according to the Independent.

Having located Ms Kwong, the defendants, who are both married with children, put a team together to access her home using deception and later force, leading to their arrest. Matthew Trickett, 37, an immigration enforcement officer and ex-Royal Marine, tried to trick his way into the flat by pretending there was a flood, jurors heard, as CNN reported.

The team carried out surveillance and then tried to “trick” their way into her home, including by posing as electricians who had come to repair a fuse, the court heard, according to the Independent. Trickett went on to pour bottled water on the floor to simulate a fake flood as part of a failed ruse to get Ms Kwong out of the flat, the trial had heard.

Having been alerted to what was going on, security services were bugging their activities and were waiting inside the flat when the team finally broke in, as multiple sources confirmed. In total, 11 people were arrested, including two more former Royal Marines, Beijing-based Australian Ms Zou and another retired Hong Kong Police superintendent, according to the Independent.

What Were Wai’s Previous Roles and Misconduct?

Wai had worked as a frontline uniformed officer with the Metropolitan Police based in Hounslow between February 2015 and April 2019 when he resigned, as reported by the Guardian and other outlets. At the time, he was under investigation for misconduct after he told a supervisor that he used his deceased grandfather’s address on a loan application to avoid tax, court documents revealed.

He had also accessed police records as a favour for friends, but police said there was no evidence he had used its database for spying, according to the Guardian. The ex-Royal Navy serviceman worked at Heathrow airport for the UK Border Force, as a special constable with City of London Police, and set up a private security firm when he began spying for Yuen, as multiple reports confirmed.

On Wai’s arrest, officers found his warrant card as a special police constable and a second – fake – card identifying him as a superintendent. Former Metropolitan Police officer Wai was convicted of misconduct in a public office by misusing the Home Office computer system to find out about people of interest to Hong Kong authorities, as reported.

Previously, Wai, who led a traditional lion dancing group, had carried out intelligence gathering for another former senior Hong Kong police officer with strong links into the Chinese state. He accessed the Home Office database to gather intelligence while on sick leave and days off from his Border Force position.

Who Was Bill Yuen and How Was He Linked to China?

His taskmaster and handler, ex-Hong Kong superintendent Yuen, was office manager at the Hong Kong Economic Trade Office (HKETO) in London, said to be an extension in the UK of the Hong Kong government, as the Guardian reported. Investigators linked Yuen directly back to the Chinese government’s Security Bureau via his contact with another ex-police chief, according to court proceedings.

In his defence, Yuen told jurors how he became office manager at HKETO after retiring from the Hong Kong police after 18 years, as the Independent reported. It was part of his job to provide building security, but not to pass intelligence to Chinese authorities in Hong Kong, he said during his testimony.

He claimed he employed Wai’s private security firm to provide protection for HKETO and visiting dignitaries who were targeted by protesters, according to the Independent. At the time, he said that he believed Wai really was a high-ranking Metropolitan Police officer, Yuen told jurors.

What Did the Judge Say During Sentencing?

In a televised sentencing, Mrs Justice Cheema-Grubb said the defendants’ actions were “deliberate, concerted and serious”, as reported by The Independent and AOL. She told them:

“Both of you played significant roles in the enterprise, which was primarily motivated by your enduring affinity with, or loyalty to, the Chinese state despite your dual British-Hong Kong citizenship”.

They had caused “real and significant” harm, leaving those targeted in fear and distress, the judge said, according to multiple media outlets. She described Wai’s attitude towards his misconduct as “arrogant”, saying he had a “sense of entitlement” to do as he pleased.

“The conduct of that kind threatens not only individual victims but the sovereignty of the state and public confidence,”

Mrs Justice Cheema-Grubb stated during the sentencing, according to Order Order.

What Happened to Matthew Trickett?

Of the 11 people detained under the National Security Act, only Trickett, who worked as a Home Office immigration officer, was charged with Wai and Yuen under the National Security Act. But a week later, he killed himself in woodland near Maidenhead, Berkshire, according to multiple sources.

A suspect on police bail for allegedly spying for Hong Kong intelligence services in the UK was found dead in a park, Thames Valley Police reported, as Jurist reported. Police noted that the death, which is under investigation, is “being treated as unexplained,” according to Thames Valley Police.

The police identified the deceased Matthew Trickett, aged 37, from Maidenhead, who was on court bail due to being charged last week with aiding the Hong Kong intelligence service, Jurist reported. However, after he was charged and released on bail, Mr Trickett was found deceased in a park in Maidenhead on 19 May 2024, according to Counter Terrorism Policing London.

An inquest into Mr Trickett’s death is expected to take place following the conclusion of these current criminal proceedings, as Counter Terrorism Policing London stated.

What Did Defence Lawyers Argue?

Mitigating for Yuen, Jonathan Caplan KC disputed that the “highly regarded” former senior officer had “betrayed” his adopted country, as reported by multiple outlets. He said:

“There is evidence he was very proud to be living in this country and thought a great deal of Great Britain,”

Caplan argued during the sentencing hearing.

Aftab Jafferjee KC, for Wai, asserted there was no “harm” to the UK, saying:

“It is not a spy ring in any traditional sense”.

Wai, who was known to associates as “Fatboy”, denied that he had been providing intelligence to Chinese authorities for years, as the Independent reported.

He claimed the City of London Police card which falsely inflated his rank was to “impress friends and family” and not to intimidate the likes of Ms Kwong, Wai told jurors. He told jurors he was an instructor in the traditional Chinese martial performance art of lion dancing, whose troupe had performed at 10 Downing Street, according to the Independent.

What Did Counter Terrorism Policing Say?

Helen Flanagan, commander for Counter Terrorism Policing London, said:

“The activity of Wai and Yuen was truly chilling,”.

“They were spying and targeting individuals in the UK who were pro-democracy campaigners and were simply protesting against the Hong Kong and Chinese government and authorities and seeking sanctuary in the UK,”

Flanagan stated, according to multiple sources.

Commander Helen Flanagan, Head of Counter Terrorism Policing London, which led the investigation, said: “The activity by Wai and Yuen was both sinister and chilling. Our investigation found they were spying for the Hong Kong authorities, targeting UK-based pro-democracy campaigners,” as Counter Terrorism Policing London confirmed.

What Did the Crown Prosecution Service State?

Frank Ferguson, from the Crown Prosecution Service, said:

“These convictions send a clear message that transnational repression, foreign interference, unauthorised surveillance, and attempts to operate outside the law will not be tolerated on British soil,”

as the CPS reported.

“This conduct was deliberate, co-ordinated and carried out with full knowledge of who it would benefit, as demonstrated by extensive digital and financial material presented during the trial,”

Ferguson added, according to the CPS.

“The CPS will not hesitate to prosecute cases where evidence shows illegal attempts to interfere, intimidate, or operate covertly in the United Kingdom,”

he stated.

Frank Ferguson, Head of the Special Crime and Counter Terrorism Division at the Crown Prosecution Service, made these statements during the sentencing announcement, as the CPS confirmed.
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Why Is This Case Historically Significant?

The case is one of the first to be prosecuted under the National Security Act, which came into force in 2023, as multiple outlets reported. The pair were convicted of assisting a foreign intelligence service under the National Security Act, marking them as the first individuals in British history to be sentenced for spying on behalf of China.

Two men were found guilty in a London court on May 7 of spying on behalf of Hong Kong and ultimately China, targeting prominent pro-democracy dissidents now based in Britain but with bounties offered for their arrest, as the Straits Times reported. This marks the first time in British history that Chinese spies have faced conviction.

Peter Wai, who engaged in covert operations targeting Chinese dissidents in the UK, has received a 10-year prison sentence, while his supervisor, Bill Yuen, has been handed an eight-year sentence. Border Force officer and Hong Kong trade official jailed for spying for China, marking the first convictions under the National Security Act.

What Are the Targets and Surveillance Details?

Targets included Hong Kong dissidents – with “special attention” paid to British politicians, including senior Tory MP Sir Iain Duncan Smith, as the Independent reported. Another protester told jurors how he had been threatened with arrest by Wai for confronting a Hong Kong diplomat outside the Guildhall in London.

The defendants’ activities were exposed on 1 May 2024 when police foiled an alleged bid to snatch a former Hong Kong resident, Ms Kwong, from her flat in Pontefract, West Yorkshire, the court was told, as the Independent reported. Among those present was Matthew Trickett, 37, an immigration enforcement officer and ex-Royal Marine, who was filmed repeatedly knocking on Ms Kwong’s door, according to court proceedings.

When Wai was detained, officers found his warrant card as a special police constable and a second – fake – card identifying him as a superintendent, as multiple outlets confirmed. Yuen, who was in contact with the group, was arrested in London.