Manager of Hong Kong trade office in London among trio charged by British police with spying | South China Morning Post
The office manager of Hong Kong’s economic and trade office in London is among three men charged by British authorities for assisting the city in spying activities, the Post has learned. London’s Metropolitan Police said on Monday that the three men, Peter Wai Chi-leung, 38, Matthew Trickett, 37, and Yuen Chung-biu, 63, would appear at Westminster Magistrates’ Court later in the day, and be charged under the National Security Act, passed last year to target threats from foreign states.
They have been charged with espionage activities which Commander Dominic Murphy, head of the Met’s Counter Terrorism Command, said were related to Hong Kong. He added that the investigation was ongoing.
A Hong Kong government insider confirmed Yuen currently served as an office manager of the city’s economic and trade office in London.
Further checks revealed that Yuen also shared the same Chinese and English name with a former police superintendent who used to work at the Marine Region and the Traffic Branch Headquarters in Hong Kong.
Documents from Britain’s companies registry showed a person who bears the same name as Wai is the director of D5 Security Limited, a private security firm which, according to its website, provides security for events, nightlife, and personal protection.
“We pride ourselves in providing outstanding security and staffing services for high-net-worth individuals, families and businesses based in the UK, China and Hong Kong,” the website said.
The registry indicated Trickett shares the name of a consultant and director of another currently active private security firm incorporated in April 2021 called Mtr Consultancy Ltd, which appears to be unrelated to Hong Kong’s railway giant MTR Corporation.
Murphy said in a statement the charges were not linked to a separate investigation involving Russia, saying “while these offences are concerning, I want to reassure the public that we do not believe there to be any wider threat to them”.
The statement added that a number of arrests were made and searches carried out across England as part of the ongoing investigation. Seven men and one woman who were not charged were released from custody.
