UK immigration officer convicted over work for Chinese intelligence

A UK Border Force officer has been found guilty of assisting Chinese intelligence in what prosecutors described as a shadow policing operation targeting Hong Kong dissidents in Britain.

Chi Leung Peter Wai, 38, was convicted alongside Chung Biu Bill Yuen, 65, after a trial in the United Kingdom.

Wai used his access to the main immigration database to track Hong Kong dissidents based in the UK.

The court heard that he searched the system on days off and sick days, and that he had been passing information before he joined Border Force at Heathrow Airport in December 2020.

He was also found guilty of misconduct in public office.

The jury could not agree on a foreign interference charge against both men, and prosecutors said they would not seek a retrial.

The case is significant because it points to alleged efforts to monitor people who fled Hong Kong after pro-democracy crackdowns.

It also raises questions about how sensitive government systems can be used to support foreign intelligence activity.

According to the evidence heard in court, Yuen was Wai's initial contact with the Hong Kong authorities.

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