A UK border official and a former Hong Kong police officer have been convicted in London of spying for China after carrying out what prosecutors described as “shadow policing” operations targeting pro-democracy activists in Britain.

Peter Wai and Bill Yuen, both dual Chinese and British nationals, were found guilty by a jury at the Central Criminal Court in London of violating the National Security Act by assisting a foreign intelligence service. Wai was also convicted of misconduct in a public office, News.Az reports, citing Asahi.

Prosecutors said the pair posed as legitimate police or intelligence officers to conduct surveillance and gather information on Hong Kong dissidents and activists living in the UK. They allegedly monitored individuals who had fled Hong Kong following the introduction of a national security law.

Authorities said the operations were deliberate and coordinated, involving the collection of intelligence on activists, politicians, and even members of the UK Parliament. Evidence presented in court showed that the pair referred to some targets as “cockroaches” and discussed surveillance of prominent political figures.

Wai, 40, worked as a UK Border Force officer and also served as a special constable in the City of London, while running a private security company. Yuen, 65, was a former Hong Kong police superintendent employed in London by the Hong Kong Economic and Trade Office.

Prosecutors said Wai misused police computer systems while off duty to obtain information, while Yuen coordinated intelligence gathering activities from his position. The court heard that Hong Kong authorities had previously offered financial rewards for information on pro-democracy supporters abroad.

The case was uncovered after counterterrorism police disrupted a separate operation in 2024 involving attempts to break into the home of a Hong Kong woman in northern England. That investigation led authorities to uncover communications linking Wai and Yuen to surveillance activities directed at dissidents in the UK.

Officials said the convicted men were part of a broader effort to monitor and intimidate individuals who had left Hong Kong after political crackdowns.

Following the verdicts, UK officials condemned the actions as a violation of sovereignty and a threat to public safety, while China rejected the allegations, calling the case politically motivated and a misuse of legal procedures. The Chinese embassy said it had lodged formal protests and accused Britain of targeting China through judicial processes.

The court was unable to reach a verdict on separate charges related to alleged break-ins, while further proceedings in the wider investigation remain ongoing.

News.Az 

By Leyla Şirinova