The British police announced on Tuesday that a former member of the Royal Marines who was tasked with assisting Hong Kong authorities in gathering intelligence in the United Kingdom has passed away in an unknown manner.
Matthew Trickett, 37, was indicted earlier this month as one of three individuals who allegedly agreed to participate in information gathering, surveillance, and deception activities that were likely to materially assist the Hong Kong intelligence service from late 2023 to May 2. Additionally, prosecutors charged the men with breaking and entering a home on May 1 in the United Kingdom.
All of the men had been granted parole and were scheduled to appear at London’s Central Criminal Court for a hearing on Friday. They have not yet submitted their pleas.
Trickett was discovered deceased in a park in Maidenhead, which is located to the west of London, by Thames Valley Police on Sunday afternoon. The discovery was made following a report from a member of the public. The police stated that an investigation was currently underway into the “unexplained fatality.”
In a statement, the police stated that the family has been informed and is receiving assistance from officers. “We respectfully request that their privacy be maintained during this challenging period.”
According to British media reports, Trickett was previously a member of the Royal Marines. According to the U.K.’s PA news agency, he previously worked for the U.K. Border Force at Heathrow Airport before joining the Home Office Immigration Enforcement on February 21, 2024. Additionally, he served as the director of MTR Consultancy, a security firm that was established in April 2021.
His charges were filed in conjunction with those of Chi Leung (Peter) Wai, 38, and Chung Biu Yuen, 63. On May 13, the males attended a brief court hearing to verify their identities.
The three people face charges of facilitating a foreign intelligence service and violating the 2023 National Security Act.
The act was implemented in December and is intended to enhance the national security of the United Kingdom by preventing “hostile activity” that is directed at the country’s democratic institutions, economy, and values.
The police had previously stated that the “foreign intelligence service” in question was Hong Kong’s.
According to Hong Kong authorities, Yuen was the office superintendent of the Hong Kong Economic and Trade Office in London.
Julian Hayes, Trickett’s attorney, expressed his “horror” at the news on Tuesday and expressed his support for Trickett’s family. Due to ongoing investigations, he declined to provide a response.
Several officers were stationed adjacent to a black forensics tent in Grenfell Park in Maidenhead, which was situated near a playground. A police cordon remained in place late Tuesday.
“Slanderous and baseless” allegations
Chinese authorities in both the United Kingdom and Hong Kong have condemned the charges, describing them as the most recent in a series of “groundless and slanderous” accusations issued by the U.K. government against China.
The U.K. was required by Hong Kong’s government to provide comprehensive information regarding the allegations and safeguard the rights of the trade office’s office manager.
Britain and China were embroiled in simmering tensions when the spying allegations were brought to light. U.K. officials have been increasingly vocal in their warnings about security threats from Beijing, and they have recently accused China of being responsible for a series of cyberespionage operations that targeted politicians and Britain’s election commission.
Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has stated that Britain is confronted with an escalating future due to the threats posed by an “axis of authoritarian states,” which includes Russia, China, Iran, and North Korea.
Two men, one of whom is a parliamentary researcher, were recently charged with espionage for China in a separate and ongoing court case. In the period from late 2021 to February 2023, Christopher Cash and Christopher Berry were accused of violating the Official Secrets Act by disclosing information or documents that could be “prejudicial to the safety or interests” of the United Kingdom and “useful to an enemy” — Beijing.
In 1997, Hong Kong, a former British colony, was reestablished as a semiautonomous territory under Chinese control. Since Beijing implemented a comprehensive national security law in response to the significant anti-government demonstrations in 2019, over 100,000 Hong Kong residents have relocated to the United Kingdom. The British government has implemented a rapid immigration pathway for migrants, a significant number of whom are seeking to establish themselves in the United Kingdom due to the deterioration of civil liberties in their native cities.
Rights organizations have warned that people who support the Chinese government are still subjecting Hong Kongers who have moved to Britain to “transnational repression.”