Two men sentenced to 18 years for spying for Hong Kong

Two men have been sentenced to lengthy prison terms for conducting espionage on behalf of a foreign intelligence service in the United Kingdom. Peter Wai, a former UK Border Force officer, was sentenced to 10 years in prison, while Bill Yuen, a retired Hong Kong police superintendent and office manager at the Hong Kong Economic and Trade Office in London, received an eight-year sentence. The sentencing took place at the Old Bailey in London on Thursday, June 18, 2026.

Both men were convicted in May after a two-month trial under the National Security Act of assisting a foreign intelligence service. Wai was additionally convicted of misconduct in a public office. Judge Mrs Justice Bobbie Cheema-Grubb described their actions as "deliberate, concerted and serious," stating they caused "real and significant" harm and left those targeted in fear and distress. She noted that Wai displayed arrogance and a sense of entitlement, particularly in his misuse of official databases.

The operation involved surveillance, information gathering, and acts of deception targeting Hong Kong dissidents and pro-democracy activists living in Britain. Particular attention was paid to prominent...