3 Men Charged in the UK With Spying for Hong Kong Intelligence Service

A protester places photos of three men charged with assisting Hong Kong's foreign intelligence service in Britain on the door of the Hong Kong Economic and Trade Office, in London, UK on May 14, 2024. Toby Melville/Reuters

London police prosecuted three men for violating the UK National Security Act on May 13, accusing them of surveilling former Hong Kong Legislative Council member Nathan Law, who is subject to bounties by the Hong Kong police.

Chung Biu Yuen, 63, an administrative manager at the Hong Kong Economic and Trade Office (HKETO) in London, Chi Leung Wai, 38, and Matthew Trickett, 37, were charged with assisting foreign intelligence services and foreign interference, according to a Metropolitan Police press release.

According to the prosecution’s case summary, Mr. Yuen, also known as “Billy Yuen,” is a retired Hong Kong police officer who is employed by HKETO as the office manager, where he is third in command.

Mr. Wai is a UK Border Force Officer based at London Heathrow Airport and a City of London Police Special Constable. He is also the director and founder of D5 Security, a private security company that claims Mr. Wai has over 20 years of experience in the British military, police, and private security sector.

Mr. Trickett is an Immigration Enforcement Officer and private investigator. He served in the British Royal Marine from 2007 to 2013 and was formerly employed by the same UK Border Force at London Heathrow Airport as Mr. Wai.

“The evidence below shows that Yuen plays an integral part of the tasking of hostile state activity in the UK,” reads the indictment, which describes Mr. Yuen as assigning tasks to the other two defendants, including intelligence gathering, hostile surveillance, deception, and forcible entry into a British residence. The other two received payments from the HKETO’s account and sent invoices to the office.

The police investigation showed that some hostile activities by the defendants predated the enactment of the UK’s National Security Act 2023. For example, from 2021 onwards, Mr. Yuen and Mr. Wai’s cell phone chat records already mentioned monitoring Nathan Law.

“The evidence includes messages regarding surveillance against Mr. Law and discussion around his associates ‘badmouthing’ Hong Kong,” reads the summary.

Chung Biu Yuen leaves Westminster Magistrates' Court in central London on May 13, 2024. Yui Mok/PA via AP

According to the prosecution, Mr. Yuen denied any connection with any intelligence services. He confessed that he had served in the Hong Kong police force for 37 years and retired as a superintendent at 55. He resided in the UK with his wife, son, and daughter, and his job at the HKETO was to manage security in addition to administrative work. He said all security is arranged through Mr. Wai and that he did this because there had been an increase in protests outside HKETO since 2019.

HKETO Paid Wai’s Company $121,333

The case summary includes a financial investigation of the three defendants. Mr. Wai’s company, D5 Security Consultancy, made payments to a company named MTR Consultancy and marked them as “Task” and “Sept Task.”

“Companies House confirms that MTR Consultancy was incorporated in 2021 with the director listed as Matthew Trickett. Open-source information states that this company offers services primarily focused on security, surveillance, and private investigation,” it reads. “Financial enquiries reveal TRICKETT has received multiple payments into his personal and MTR Consultancy Business account from WAI or WAI’s Private security company D5 Security.”

Between June 5, 2023, and Jan. 31, 2024, D5 Security Consultancy, where Mr. Wai serves as director, received three payments totaling £95,500 ($121,333) from the HKETO’s HSBC account in the UK. Upon receiving the funds, they were almost immediately transferred to various individuals or companies, including Mr. Trickett and MTR Consultancy. Communications between the three defendants confirmed the receipt or payment of these funds.

According to the prosecution, Mr. Trickett told UK police that he knew Mr. Wai from the UK Border Force and described Mr. Wai as his client. He admitted to working for the HKETO and meeting Mr. Yuen.

Chi Leung Wai leaves Westminster Magistrates' Court in central London on May 13, 2024. Yui Mok/PA via AP

In addition, Mr. Trickett’s cell phone also contained “a number of detailed surveillance reports, including against Mr. Nathan Law, who is also subject to the ‘bounty’ issued by Hong Kong authorities.”

“Surveillance carried out at this individual’s home address and business addresses in London, includes a number of images, as set out below, of the premises, protesters attending a demonstration in central London,” reads the summary.

Hong Kong Responds

On May 14, before attending an Executive Council meeting, Hong Kong Chief Executive John Lee was asked if the incident would affect the normal operations of the HKETO and if the authorities were aware that two of the defendants allegedly received payments from the HKETO.

Mr. Lee responded that the Hong Kong authorities had requested the British Consul General in Hong Kong to provide details to ensure the rights of the involved staff and the normal operation of the HKETO.

“The office’s daily work involves communicating with various people locally, promoting Hong Kong’s economy, trade, culture, and advantages,” he said. “Any unreasonable accusations against the Hong Kong SAR (Special Administrative Region) government are unacceptable.”

Regarding the online rumor that he and Mr. Yuen were classmates, Mr. Lee said the circulating photo is a graduation picture that includes himself and Mr. Yuen.

“My impression of this person (Yuen) is just this photo,” he said.

Hong Kong Chief Executive John Lee answered media questions before attending an Executive Council meeting on May 14, 2024. Kiri Choy/The Epoch Times

HK Sending Spies for Beijing ‘Not News,’ Says Advocate

Dr. Lin Bin, a Hong Kong democracy advocate and media commentator with a PhD in political science, believes that it is not “news” that Hong Kong may have joined mainland China in sending spies overseas.

He referred to the well-known Hong Kong spy case of John Tsang Siu-fo, who was a spy sent by Beijing to work in the Hong Kong Police under British rule in the 1950s.

“The Hong Kong authorities have assisted the Beijing authorities to monitor dissidents in many ways after Hong Kong handed over to Beijing from Britain,” Mr. Lin told The Epoch Times in an email.

He recounted an experience of himself over 20 years ago, in 2002 when the city was just taken over by the communist regime for five years.

“One of my emails was returned because one of the receiver’s mailboxes was full. I checked the details on the returned email and found that my email was ‘bcc’ sent to twelve email addresses that I never knew. All these twelve email addresses are the email accounts of ‘doj.gov.hk.’ It is the Department of Justice of Hong Kong,” he wrote.

“I sent emails to all these twelve email addresses asking if I was monitored by them. I only received two responses denying the monitoring.”

“If my email account was hacked by a hacker who was not working for the Hong Kong authorities, why would the hacker ‘bcc’ my emails to the staff of the Department of Justice of Hong Kong, not the government of Australia or the USA?”

The Epoch Times has seen the emails in question and can confirm Mr. Lin is an Australian citizen with a Hong Kong background. He has never possessed a Chinese or Hong Kong passport.

Leo Cheung contributed to this report.