3 men appeared in court in London on Monday on charges of aiding the Hong Kong intelligence service in gathering information in Britain. Chi Leung (Peter) Wai, 38, Matthew Trickett, 37, and Chung Biu Yuen, 63, were granted bail during a brief hearing at Westminster Magistrates’ Court.
During the hearing, the men confirmed their identities but otherwise remained silent. Police allege that between December 20 and May 2, Yuen, Wai, and Trickett agreed to participate in information gathering, surveillance, and acts of deception likely to assist the Hong Kong intelligence service. The charges also include allegations of breaking into a residence on May 1.
These three men were part of a group of 11 individuals arrested earlier in London and the northern Yorkshire area by counterterrorism police. This arrest was made possible by provisions of a new law allowing detention without warrant in national security and espionage cases.
While the three men were granted bail, the other eight suspects were released without charge. Commander Dominic Murphy, head of the Met’s counterterrorism command, emphasized the role of the Counter Terrorism Policing network in disrupting such activities.
The court appearance coincided with Prime Minister Rishi Sunak’s speech, highlighting the growing threats from what he described as an “axis of authoritarian states,” including Russia, China, Iran, and North Korea.
Relations with China had been tense since last year when a parliamentary researcher was arrested on suspicion of spying for Beijing. These recent charges against the three men didn’t receive an immediate response from Hong Kong’s security bureau, police, or China’s foreign ministry office in Hong Kong.
Last year, the British government passed a new national security act granting police additional powers to tackle foreign espionage, citing the need to combat the evolving threat of foreign interference targeting the UK’s democracy, economy, and values.
The arrests in this case took place on May 1 and 2, and the investigation is ongoing. The next court appearance for the three suspects is scheduled for May 24 at the Central London Criminal Court.
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