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'SPY' CHARGES
Ex-Royal Marine, cop and Border Force officer charged with ‘spying on Hong Kong dissidents & hostile activity’
The offences were described as 'concerning'
A FORMER Royal Marine, a retired cop and a UK Border Force officer have all been charged with “spying on Hong Kong dissidents and conducting hostile activity”.
The trio are charged with assisting a foreign intelligence service - in the first case under the National Security Act relating to the region.
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Matthew Trickett, 37, served in the Marines between 2007 and 2013, but is now working as an immigration enforcement officer and private investigator.
Chi Leung Wai, 38, also known as Peter Wai, is a UK Border Force officer - based at London Heathrow Airport - and a City of London Police Special Constable.
Retired police officer Yuen, also known as Billy Yuen, is an office manager of Hong Kong's economic and trade office in London.
The three men were charged following an investigation involving the Met's Counter Terrorism Command along with the North East and South East Counter Terrorism Policing Units.
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Wai, also known as Peter, of Staines-upon-Thames, Surrey, Trickett, of Maidenhead, Berks and Yuen, of Hackney, east London, appeared at Westminster Magistrates' Court wearing grey prison issue tracksuits.
They spoke to answer to their names and confirm their dates of birth.
'NOT TERRORISM CASE'
Prosecutor Mr Kashif Malik emphasised this is 'not a terrorism case' but said Mr Justice Baker will hear the matter at the Old Bailey on 24 May.
District Judge Louisa Ciecióra bailed them to appear at the Old Bailey later this month.
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They were allowed bail subject to stringent conditions including residence, curfews between 10pm-5am, reporting at relevant police stations, surrendering their passports, not applying for any international travel documents, not entering any international travel hubs and not being in possession of any travel documents.
COULD FACE 14 YEARS IN PRISON
If convicted they would face at least 14 years behind bars for espionage offences.
The trio were charged with two offences yesterday: The first of assisting a Foreign Intelligence Service alleges, between December 20, 2023 and May 2, 2024, they “engaged in conduct, namely agreeing to undertake information gathering, surveillance and acts of deception, that was likely to materially assist a foreign intelligence service carrying out UK-related activities and in doing so knew or, having regard to other matters known to them, they ought reasonably to have known, that their conduct was likely to have that effect.”
The second of foreign interference alleges, on May 1, 2024, they “engaged in prohibited conduct, namely, forcing entry into a UK residential address, being reckless as to whether the prohibited conduct, or course of conduct of which it forms part, would have an interference effect.”
The charge relates to Hong Kong Economic Trade Offices (HKETO) outside the territory.
There are 14 HKETOs outside Hong Kong and China, and seven in China.
In addition to HKETOs, the Hong Kong Government has an office in Beijing, the capital of China, called the Office of the Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region in Beijing.
The HKETO in London is an extension of the Government of Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, part of the People's Republic of China.
"The foreign intelligence service to which the above charges relate is that of Hong Kong," a Met Police spokesperson said.
The Metropolitan Police said the Hong Kong investigation was not related to a separate case involving Russia.
A TOTAL OF 11 PEOPLE DETAINED
As part of the investigation, a total of 11 people were detained under section 27 of the National Security Act.
Eight men and a woman were arrested by officers on May 1 in the Yorkshire area, before a man was arrested in London and another man was arrested in the Yorkshire area the following day, the force said.
Wai, of Staines-upon-Thames, Trickett, of Maidenhead, and Yuen, of Hackney, were each charged with assisting a foreign intelligence service, contrary to section 3(1) and (9) of the National Security Act, and with foreign interference, contrary to section 13(2) and (7) of the same Act.
The Met said seven men and one woman were released from custody on or before May 10.
While these offences are concerning, I want to reassure the public that we do not believe there to be any wider threat to them
Commander Dominic Murphy, head of the Met's counter terrorism command
Commander Dominic Murphy, head of the Met's counter terrorism command, said: "This operation is not connected to a recently reported counter-terrorism policing investigation linked to Russia.
"A number of arrests were made and searches carried out across England as part of this investigation.
"While these offences are concerning, I want to reassure the public that we do not believe there to be any wider threat to them.
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"This investigation remains ongoing, but now that charges have been brought, I urge people not to speculate or comment further in relation to this case."
It follows an investigation led by officers from the Met's Counter Terrorism Command with support from colleagues from the North East and South East Counter Terrorism Policing Units.
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