London jury convicts two men of spying for the Hong Kong government in the UK
Two men were found guilty of spying for the Hong Kong government in the UK after a London jury concluded they carried out “shadow policing” and unauthorised intelligence-gathering against exiled dissidents. The verdicts, returned at the Old Bailey on May 7, 2026, mark one of the first successful prosecutions under Britain’s National Security Act for assisting a foreign intelligence service. (wkzo.com)
Verdict at the Old Bailey
A jury at the Central Criminal Court found Chung Biu “Bill” Yuen, 65, and Chi Leung “Peter” Wai, 40, guilty of assisting a foreign intelligence service, a charge brought under the National Security Act 2023. The convictions relate to activity prosecutors said took place between December 2023 and May 2024 and culminated in the guilty verdicts delivered on May 7, 2026. (news.met.police.uk)
Allegations of “shadow policing” operations
Prosecutors described the pair’s work as “shadow policing,” alleging they posed as legitimate officers and carried out surveillance of Hong Kong pro-democracy activists and supporters resident in Britain. Evidence presented at trial included testimony that targets included prominent exiled campaigners and that operatives were instructed to pay particular attention to UK politicians and officials who supported dissidents. Media accounts and court filings said the activities covered surveillance, attempts to obtain personal information and confrontations at demonstrations. (theguardian.com)
Abuse of government systems to collect information
The jury accepted Crown evidence that Wai, a former UK Border Force officer and special constable, knowingly abused access to Home Office and law-enforcement databases to obtain personal data on dissidents and others. Prosecutors argued that official systems were used without authority to produce material later shared with Yuen and others for intelligence purposes, a breach the Crown said was central to their case. The Crown Prosecution Service highlighted misuse of official access as a distinct aggravating factor in the unlawful information-gathering scheme. (cps.gov.uk)
Connection to the Hong Kong Economic and Trade Office
Court witnesses and documents introduced at trial placed Yuen, who had been employed by the Hong Kong Economic and Trade Office (HKETO) in London, at the centre of the operation. Prosecutors said Yuen, a former senior Hong Kong police officer who ran the London office, assigned tasks and provided lists of individuals for surveillance that included activists and some UK public figures. The defendants denied the charges, but the jury concluded their conduct benefited Hong Kong authorities and, by extension, the Chinese government. (scmp.com)
Charges left unresolved and legal framework applied
While jurors convicted both men of assisting a foreign intelligence service, they were unable to reach a verdict on separate counts alleging “foreign interference,” including an allegation relating to an attempted forced entry into a woman’s home in northern England. The prosecutions were conducted under the National Security Act 2023, a statute that creates new offences for assisting foreign intelligence services and for conduct intended to interfere in the UK’s democratic and civic life. Lawyers for the defence signalled they would challenge elements of the Crown’s case as the defendants await sentencing hearings. (cps.gov.uk)
Next steps and possible penalties
Both men were remanded in custody ahead of a further hearing scheduled for May 15, 2026, where directions on sentencing and unresolved counts are expected to be set out. Sentencing guidelines for offences under the National Security Act carry the prospect of long custodial terms where courts find deliberate and organised assistance to foreign intelligence services. Legal commentators say the case will be closely watched for how UK courts balance national security concerns with evidential thresholds in prosecutions that touch on foreign political disputes. (the-independent.com)
The convictions underscore growing scrutiny in the UK of alleged overseas operations targeting dissident communities and raise fresh questions about the role of overseas representation offices and the avenues by which personal data can be obtained on UK soil. Observers say the case may prompt further reviews of safeguards around official database access and the conduct of foreign-affiliated officials operating in Britain.
