Kathrine Frich
Security fears over alleged Chinese espionage have again gripped Westminster after it emerged that a British academic was detained at Heathrow Airport with thousands of pounds in cash.
The cash was reportedly given to him by a Chinese handler.
Airport stop
Christopher Berry, 33, from Oxfordshire, was stopped by police under counter-terrorism powers after flying into Heathrow from China in February 2023.
Officers reportedly found a suitcase containing £4,000 and seized his phone and laptop.
Six weeks later, Berry was formally arrested on suspicion of spying for China. Investigators believe the money was supplied by a Chinese intelligence contact known only as “Alex”.
The Metropolitan Police confirmed that “a man in his thirties” was stopped under Schedule 3 of the Counter-Terrorism and Border Security Act 2019, which allows questioning of anyone suspected of involvement in hostile activity linked to a foreign state.
Spy network claims
Authorities later uncovered connections between Berry and parliamentary researcher Chris Cash, who was also accused of spying for Beijing.
Prosecutors alleged that Berry was commissioned to write 34 reports on politically sensitive issues, 10 of which were said to compromise national security.
Sources claimed that Chinese official Cai Qi, a close ally of President Xi Jinping, may have received some of the intelligence material passed from Westminster.
Berry denies wrongdoing, insisting that his work for a Chinese company “could not be considered for a purpose prejudicial to the safety or interests of the state.”
Collapsed prosecution
Despite months of investigation, the high-profile case fell apart when prosecutors abruptly dropped all charges against Berry and Cash before trial.
The decision sparked anger across Westminster and renewed criticism of the government’s handling of Chinese interference in Britain.
Both men maintain their innocence, while China’s embassy in London called the allegations “pure fabrication and malicious slander.”
Officials have so far declined to confirm whether the seized £4,000 remains in police custody or what currency the cash was in.
This article is made and published by Kathrine Frich, which may have used AI in the preparation
