UK law enforcement bugged China 'Shadow Police Operation', Court hears

A man from Staines is being accused of breaking into a Yorkshire flat - as part of a Chinese spy operation.

UK law enforcement secretly bugged a "shadow police operation" to break into the British home of a young mother on behalf of China, a court has heard.

Loud bangs and muffled background noises were picked up by the eavesdropping device as men forced their way into Monica Kwong's flat in Pontefract, West Yorkshire, on the evening of May 1 2024, the Old Bailey was told.

Police then swooped in to arrest 11 people, including British Border Force official Peter Wai (from Staines), two former Royal Marines, Beijing-based businesswoman Tina Zou and a retired Hong Kong Police superintendent.

Wai, 38, known as Fatboy, and another ex-Hong Kong police superintendent Bill Yuen, 65, are on trial at the Old Bailey accused of charges under the National Security Act.

Jurors have heard how Wai was tasked by Yuen to spy on Hong Kong dissidents and pro-democracy campaigners and British politicians for China.

Wai, who was also a special constable with the City of London Police, had allegedly accessed the Home Office computer system while off sick or on rest days to carry out research into Ms Kwong.

She had left Hong Kong in 2023 with her young son and been targeted over an alleged fraud against her influential employer, Ms Zou, who was later among those arrested in Pontefract.

Jurors were shown a series of videos of Wei's team allegedly trying to trick their way into the flat as part of a plan to get hold of Ms Kwong and take her back to China.

Tactics included pretending to be a maintainance worker checking for an electrical fault and pouring water under the door to simulate a leak.

Matthew Trickett, 37, an immigration enforcement officer and ex-Royal Marine, was filmed by the team repeatedly knocking on the door.

When he received no response, he could be heard to tell Ms Kwong she would be "liable" for any damage if she did not open up.

He went on: "Ma'am, can you please open the door? Ma'am, we are going to have to call the management company to open the door if you are not willing to open it."

"We have tried to contact you but you have not answered. Can you please open the door? If you are asleep, please wake up. We are busy, have other things we need to do."

"Can you please open the door? Do you really want us to keep on knocking on the door? We do not want to be working all night. Ma'am, please open the door."

The team also deployed a "snake camera" to film under the door to Ms Kwong's flat, jurors were told.

Wai used ChatGPT to look up "does UK locksmith open any lock" before the group accessed the property by force, it was claimed.

Prosecutor Duncan Atkinson KC said: "Although the activity at Monica Kwong's front door was only video recorded when the defendants' team themselves videoed it, there was an audio eavesdropping operation being undertaken by UK law enforcement, and UK police officers were on stand-by nearby."

Wai was arrested inside Ms Kwong's flat wearing blue latex gloves similar to police issue.

He had with him his City of London Police warrant card and £4,000 in £50 notes in a leather manbag.

A fake City of London Police ID card in which Wai was ranked a superintendent was found below a kitchen window, jurors heard.

Mr Atkinson said Wai had deployed ChatGPT to research how to produce such false identification.

While searching Ms Kwong's kitchen, Trickett "panicked" when he saw police approaching and hid his mobile phone in his underpants, the court heard.

He was later released on bail but died before the case came to trial, jurors were told.

Yuen, an employee of the Hong Kong Economic Trade Office in London, was arrested the next day at his home.

In police interviews, he denied any wrongdoing, describing his communication with Wai on a personal phone as "chit chat".

Wei told police the purpose of going to Pontefract was only to serve legal documents as Ms Zou was owed money by Ms Kwong.

Wai and Yuen are jointly charged with assisting a foreign intelligence service between December 20 2023 and May 2 2024, and a second charge of foreign interference on May 1 2024 by forcing entry into a UK residential address.

Wai is also accused of misconduct in a public office by misusing his access to the Home Office computer system.

Wai, of Staines-upon-Thames, Surrey; and Yuen, of Hackney, east London, have denied the charges against them.

The Old Bailey trial continues.