The case of former Hong Kong Trade and Economic Office manager in London Chung Biu Yuen and his associate, accused of engaging in espionage activities, has now entered the trial stage. The court revealed evidence on March 4 that Yuen and his partner carried out “shadow policing” for the Hong Kong authorities in the UK, ignoring British law and enforcing their own rules.
Yuen, 64, and his partner Chi Leung “Peter” Wai, 38, are currently being tried at the Central Criminal Court of England and Wales for violating the National Security Act 2023. During the opening statement, prosecutor Duncan Atkinson KC stated that Yuen and Wai acted as if British law did not apply to them while conducting “shadow policing” operations on behalf of the Hong Kong authorities in the UK.
According to the prosecution’s opening statement, Wai abused the UK Home Office and police computer systems for personal gain, receiving a monthly fee of £2,000 by collecting information on Hong Kong asylum seekers in the UK.
Atkinson KC explained, “Shadow policing involves gathering information on individuals of interest to the Hong Kong authorities, monitoring them, and pretending to enforce laws or act as a national intelligence agency in the UK, despite lacking such authority in reality.”
Yuen, a former police officer in Hong Kong who served as the office manager of the Hong Kong Trade and Economic Office in London, and Wai, a former UK Border Force employee and special constable in the City of London Police, are both dual passport holders of the UK and Hong Kong.
The prosecution alleges that between December 2023 and May 2024, Yuen and Wai engaged in activities such as information gathering, surveillance, and deception, which could potentially aid foreign intelligence agencies. However, both defendants have denied all charges.
Atkinson KC revealed that the defendants received requests from individuals associated with the Hong Kong Police Force and authorities to gather intelligence on overseas Hong Kong residents who were subjects of the Hong Kong government’s wanted list, with bounties of around £100,000 provided for information leading to their location or arrest.
Among the targets under surveillance were prominent Hong Kong pro-democracy figures such as former Legislative Council member Nathan Law, 2019 anti-extradition bill movement leader Finn Lau, and activist Christopher Mung, all wanted by the Hong Kong government.
Evidence presented in court showed that Wai contacted former Hong Kong Police Commissioner Eddie Ma to discuss infiltrating the pro-democracy group “Hongkongers in the UK.”
In November 2020, Ma hired Wai as a consultant for £2,000 a month, with additional bonuses for providing “valuable intelligence.” Ma referred to Hong Kong dissidents as “cockroaches.”
In February 2021, Wai messaged Ma, stating, “I’m back at the airport cleaning up this area, won’t let any ‘cockroaches’ in.” Another member in the same WhatsApp group replied, “No… let them in, embrace them, get more contact information from them.”
By April 2023, Wai had hired Matthew Trickett, whose activities were funded directly by the Hong Kong Trade and Economic Office in London, according to Atkinson KC.
Trickett joined the UK Home Office Immigration Enforcement Department in February 2024 and searched for data on Nathan Law in the ATLAS database. In November 2023, Trickett monitored Nathan Law during an event at the Oxford Union and surveilled other individuals wanted by the Hong Kong government.
On May 13, 2024, 37-year-old Trickett, along with Yuen and Wai, was charged with assisting the Hong Kong intelligence agency and engaging in foreign interference activities. Six days after being granted bail, Trickett’s body was found in Grenfell Park, Maidenhead, Berkshire.
Hong Kong writer and online current affairs commentator Feng Yi Gan has offered insights on this matter.
Trickett, a British national, joined the Royal Marines at the age of 19 and served for seven years. After leaving the military, he founded his own security company, providing protection for engineers, foreign dignitaries, corporate organizations, and affluent families. Trickett is fluent in Spanish and previously worked for the UK Border Force at Heathrow Airport.