Overview
- The Old Bailey sentenced former Border Force officer Chi Leung “Peter” Wai to 10 years and ex‑Hong Kong police superintendent Chung Biu “Bill” Yuen to eight years on Thursday, June 18, 2026, after convictions for assisting a foreign intelligence service.
- Prosecutors said the pair ran coordinated “shadow policing” operations that surveilled and intimidated UK‑based Hong Kong pro‑democracy activists and targeted some British politicians, leaving victims in fear and distress.
- Evidence shown at trial included monitored phone and device records, a security‑watched failed abduction in Pontefract on May 1, 2024, and misuse of government systems by Wai to pull personal data from Home Office/Border Force databases.
- Financial and documentary material linked Yuen to payments routed through Hong Kong Economic and Trade Office accounts to pay Wai and subcontractors, with prosecutors citing transfers near £100,000 as part of the operation.
- The convictions mark an early high‑profile use of the National Security Act to counter alleged transnational repression, have led to diplomatic protests from the Chinese embassy, and are likely to increase scrutiny of official database access and overseas representative offices.