Two jailed in UK for spying on Hong Kong dissidents for China

A former UK Border Force official and a retired Hong Kong police officer have been sentenced to prison for spying on dissidents and critics of Beijing in Britain on behalf of Chinese intelligence.

Peter Wai, 41, a Border Force officer, received a 10-year prison sentence, while Bill Yuen, 66, a former superintendent in the Hong Kong Police, was sentenced to eight years. Prosecutors stated that the two Chinese-British nationals posed as police or intelligence officers to conduct surveillance and gather information about Hong Kong dissidents and pro-democracy supporters.

Their targets included former Hong Kong lawmaker Nathan Law, activists they referred to as 'cockroaches,' and British politicians critical of China. A jury found the two guilty last month of breaching the National Security Act by assisting a foreign intelligence service. Wai was also convicted of misconduct in a public office for using a government computer to seek information on individuals of interest to Hong Kong authorities.

Judge Bobbie Cheema-Grubb described the defendants’ actions as 'deliberate, concerted, and serious,' stating they had left those targeted in fear and distress. Helen Flanagan, Commander for Counter Terrorism Policing London, called their activity 'truly chilling' and noted they were targeting pro-democracy campaigners seeking sanctuary in the UK.

Following the convictions, Chinese Ambassador Zheng Zeguang was summoned to the British Foreign Office. China's embassy in the UK dismissed the case as a political farce intended to support anti-China forces.