Latest news with #spying
The Independent
a day ago
- Politics
- The Independent
British man charged with spying for China in US military technology smuggling plot
A British man has been charged with spying for allegedly trying to smuggle "sensitive American military technology" to China. The US Justice Department said John Miller, who is from Tunbridge Wells in Kent, is accused of interstate stalking and conspiracy to commit interstate stalking, and conspiracy, smuggling, and violations of the Arms Export Control Act. The Justice Department added that the US is seeking to extradite Mr Miller from Serbia, along with his co-accused, Cui Guanghai, 43, of China. The most serious offence they are accused of – violation of the Arms Export Control Act – carries a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison. According to the Mail on Sunday, a neighbour said Mr Miller, 63, often travelled to the Far East for work. Court documents released by the US Attorney's Office said the pair 'solicited the procurement of US defence articles, including missiles, air defense radar, drones, and cryptographic devices with associated crypto ignition keys for unlawful export from the United States to the People's Republic of China'. The pair reportedly discussed ways to export a cryptographic device from the US to China, including concealing the device in a blender, and shipping the device first to Hong Kong. Court documents said they paid around 10,000 dollars (£7,400) as a deposit for the cryptographic device via a courier in the US and a wire transfer to a US bank account. The two men are also said to have been part of a plot to prevent an individual who had been critical of China's President Xi Jinping from protesting his appearance at the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation (Apec) summit in November 2023. In the weeks leading up to the Apec summit, they are accused of coordinating an interstate scheme to conduct surveillance on the victim by installing a tracking device on his car and slashing its tyres. Another offence relates to the spring of this year, when the dissenter announced that he planned to make public an online video feed depicting two new artistic statues of Mr Xi and his wife. In connection with these plots, the accused are said to have paid two other individuals approximately 36,500 dollars (£27,010) to convince the victim to desist from the online display of the statues. These two individuals were affiliated with and acting at the direction of the FBI. Deputy attorney general Todd Blanche said: 'As alleged, the defendants targeted a US resident for exercising his constitutional right to free speech and conspired to traffic sensitive American military technology to the Chinese regime. 'This is a blatant assault on both our national security and our democratic values. This Justice Department will not tolerate foreign repression on US soil, nor will we allow hostile nations to infiltrate or exploit our defence systems. 'We will act decisively to expose and dismantle these threats wherever they emerge.' US attorney Bill Essayli, for the Central District of California, said: 'The indictment alleges that Chinese foreign actors targeted a victim in our nation because he criticised the Chinese government and its president. 'My office will continue to use all legal methods available to hold accountable foreign nationals engaging in criminal activity on our soil.' Akil Davis, the assistant director in charge of the FBI's Los Angeles field office, said: 'The FBI will not tolerate transnational repression targeting those in the United States who express dissenting opinions about foreign leaders. 'Both defendants face serious stalking charges in Los Angeles and my office intends to hold them accountable for bullying a victim, a critic of the PRC (People's Republic of China), and targeting him with violence.' If convicted Mr Miller could also face the maximum penalties of five years in prison for conspiracy, five years in prison for interstate stalking, and 10 years in prison for smuggling.
Bloomberg
a day ago
- Politics
- Bloomberg
British Man Charged in US With Spying for China
A British man has been charged in the US with spying for China, officials in the US confirmed. John Miller, 63, is accused of interstate stalking and conspiracy to commit interstate stalking, and conspiracy, smuggling, and violations of the Arms Export Control Act, the US Justice Department said.
The Sun
a day ago
- Business
- The Sun
Brit held by US after being accused of ‘spying and plotting' for China
A BRITISH businessman has been accused of spying and plotting to smuggle sensitive military technology to China. The FBI claim investigators intercepted phone calls in which John Miller, 63, called Chinese leader Xi Jinping as "The Boss'. The 63-year-old from Kent is also alleged to have tried to buy military hardware in the US for the People's Liberation Army. This included missile launchers, air defence radars and Black Hornet 'microdrones' that can fly within feet of enemy soldiers and enter buildings to spy on troop positions. Other equipment he attempted to purchase included a hand-held device approved by America's National Security Agency for the secure communication of classified material. Mr Miller also suggested smuggling a device by glueing it inside a food blender so it could then be 'sent via DHL or Fedex to Hong Kong, according to US court papers. The FBI said Mr Miller calling Xi 'The Boss' showed his 'awareness that he was acting at the direction and control of the [Chinese] government'. He was arrested on April 24 after he was caught in a sting when the 'arms dealers' he was negotiating with turned out to be undercover FBI agents. Mr Miller was on a business trip to Belgrade, Serbia, at the time and is still being held last night facing extradition to the US. He is accused of conspiring with US-based Chinese national, Cui Guanghai, 43, and if convicted, both men face up to 40 years in prison. Neighbours at his five-bedroom £1.5million home in Tunbridge Wells described him a 'respectable family man', according to the Mail on Sunday. 1
Daily Mail
a day ago
- Business
- Daily Mail
EXCLUSIVE British father 'caught spying for China' in FBI sting: Businessman, 63, who referred to Chinese leader Xi Jingping as 'the Boss' and 'attempted to smuggle arms into Beijing' facing 40 years in US jail
A British businessman has been sensationally accused of spying for China and plotting to smuggle sensitive military technology to Beijing. John Miller, 63, was arrested on the orders of the FBI following a sting operation and is now awaiting extradition to the United States. Court documents seen by The Mail on Sunday show that Mr Miller referred to Chinese leader Xi Jinping as 'The Boss' in intercepted phone calls. The FBI said this demonstrated his 'awareness that he was acting at the direction and control of the [Chinese] government'. Last night, neighbours at the businessman's five-bedroom £1.5 million home in Tunbridge Wells, Kent, expressed bemusement at the news and called him a 'respectable family man'. His wife volunteers at her local church, and the couple's daughter attended a leading public school. One said: 'They are the perfect family to have as neighbours.' Documents filed at the Eastern District Court of Wisconsin in Milwaukee allege Mr Miller tried to buy military hardware in the US for the People's Liberation Army, including missile launchers, air defence radars and Black Hornet 'microdrones' that can fly within feet of enemy soldiers and enter buildings to spy on troop positions. Other equipment he attempted to procure included a hand-held device approved by America's National Security Agency for the secure communication of 'classified and sensitive national security information'. According to the court papers, Mr Miller suggested smuggling a device by glueing it inside a food blender. He said it could then be 'sent via DHL or Fedex to Hong Kong'. The revelation comes as America warned that China is preparing to invade Taiwan. Mr Miller, who calls himself a recruitment specialist, was caught in a sting after the 'arms dealers' he was negotiating with turned out to be undercover FBI agents. He was arrested on April 24 while on a business trip to Belgrade, Serbia, where he was being held last night. He is accused of conspiring with US-based Chinese national, Cui Guanghai, 43. If convicted, both men face up to 40 years in prison. A 67-page indictment states that around December 2023, messages intercepted by the FBI showed that Mr Miller communicated with an unknown person a 'Christmas wish-list that included hardware and radar technology'. The list includes an offer of £37,000 for a Stinger portable missile launcher, £148,000 for two military drones, £668,000 for an AGM-88E anti-radiation missile system and £1.5 million for an air defence radar system. Mr Miller told an undercover FBI agent that the hardware would be reverse-engineered – or copied – in China. Its government, he said, was willing to pay two to three times the cost to acquire such equipment. The indictment also accuses the pair of mounting a surveillance and harassment operation in the US against a Chinese-American artist, a vocal critic of President Xi, hiring an investigator to put a tracking device on his car. It was claimed Mr Miller was trying to stop him from protesting during a visit by Xi to San Francisco in November 2023. The documents seen by The Mail on Sunday show that Mr Miller referred to Chinese leader Xi Jinping as 'The Boss' US Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche said: 'The defendants targeted a US resident for exercising his constitutional right to free speech and conspired to traffic sensitive American military technology to the Chinese regime. This is a blatant assault on both our national security and our democratic values. 'The Justice Department will not tolerate foreign repression on US soil, nor will we allow hostile nations to infiltrate or exploit our defence systems.' According to the indictment, Mr Miller and Cui hired two people to buy an 'embarrassing' sculpture the artist made showing Xi and his wife, Peng Liyuan, kneeling on sand, naked from the waist up. The move was apparently intended to prevent the artist from displaying the work during a protest. 'The harassment scheme placed the victim in reasonable fear for his/her safety and the safety of his/her immediate family,' said the indictment. Unbeknown to Mr Miller the two people he hired were FBI investigators. At one point he ordered them to slash the artist's car tyres. They sent him pictures to show they had done as he asked – but in reality simply let the tyres down. Separately, Mr Miller and Cui tasked someone else with staging a protest against a visit by the president of Taiwan to the US. This person, who was actually an FBI informant, was specifically asked to make sure protesters held certain placards calling on the US not to intervene in Taiwan-Chinese tensions The indictment says: 'Miller specifically requested that protest signs include the following messages, 'Don't involve us in your war'; 'Don't let Taiwan become Ukraine 2'; 'Look after America first.'' The FBI informant hired actors to act as protesters in the fake demonstration, the indictment said. FBI deputy director Dan Bongino said: 'The defendants allegedly plotted to harass and interfere with an individual who criticised the actions of the People's Republic of China while exercising their constitutionally protected free speech rights within the United States of America. The same individuals are also charged with trying to obtain and export sensitive US military technology to China. 'I want to commend the good work of the FBI and our partners in the US and overseas in putting a stop to these illegal activities.' After returning to the US from a visit to China in June 2023, Mr Miller boasted to undercover investigators that he met high-ranking Chinese government officials. He said the 'trip couldn't have gone better'. His wife answered the door of their home last night, where a Mercedes stood on the drive. She said she knew nothing of his arrest and added: 'I am not with Mr Miller.' A neighbour said: 'We know John often went to the Far East for his work. We would see him, then he would not be round for a few weeks or longer at a time, but we did not think anything of it. We knew his work involved a lot of travel but we did not really know what it was all about.' According to Companies House records, Mr Miller has been a director or a majority shareholder of at least nine firms including the now-dissolved TEFL Jobs China Ltd. TEFL usually stands for Teaching English as a Foreign Language. Last night, the Foreign Office said: 'We are providing consular assistance to a British national following his arrest in Serbia in April and are in touch with the local authorities and his family.'
The Sun
2 days ago
- Health
- The Sun
I was left to rot in rat-infested jail on ‘spying' charges for 100 days with 80 crammed in cell – I thought I would die
A BRIT dad jailed on unfounded spying charges has told how he was crammed into a tiny rat-infested cell for 100 days. Richard Perham, 30, told The Sun how he and fellow Brit Paul Inch, 50, had been on a four-day job to collect a downed research balloon in Guinea - but ended up in a hellhole jail for three months. 13 13 13 13 Two days into their trip, Richard, from Bristol, and Paul, of Blaenau Ffestiniog, were cuffed and accused of spying, sedition, breaching national defence, and violating airspace by cops. They were thrown into one of West Africa's most overcrowded and dangerous jails - Conakry Central Prison - that operates at 475 per cent of its capacity. The Brits claim they were extorted, threatened with sexual and physical violence, and pushed to the brink - not knowing if or when they were going to get let out. After returning to the UK just over a week ago, Richard recalled the nightmare he has lived since the beginning of the year. He told The Sun: "Day to day we were facing challenges such as hygiene, cramped conditions, distressing things - maybe we were seeing violence. "We were staying in a cell the size of a train carriage - and that was housing about 80 people. "And during the night, when everyone was sleeping, the whole floor was covered with mattresses, people sleeping, two by two, one, two people to one mattress. "[We] were all sharing one toilet, one shower, the place was really unhygienic." To avoid being transferred to a more violent section of the prison, the two Brits were forced to make regular extortion payments to prisoners and staff. There were also no guards stationed inside cell blocks. And Richard described how diseases such as malaria were rampant in the hellhole jail. The water was so contaminated they had to disinfect their skin after washing - and both men suffered dehydration, gastrointestinal illnesses, and skin infections. Richard said: "There were open sewers. There were rats running around in the rafters, and you know, sometimes even dropping down and running over us whilst we were sleeping. "It was really difficult, as you can imagine." Brave Richard and Paul thought their nightmare was finally over 60 days later when they were told they were being let go. But at this point, they unknowingly had 82 days of hell to go. 13 13 13 Richard said: "We had the embassy waiting at the gates to collect us. "We packed our things up, we gave away things to other prisoners, and we signed out of the prison. "This all took about an hour and was really emotional. It was really high, and also really nerve wracking. "We hadn't been out of the prison, for, two months at that point. "We got to the outer gate, at which point one of the guards made a phone call to the local prosecutor and we were turned around and marched back in which was absolutely crushing. "It just totally smashed us." Another 40 days passed of being locked up in the hellhole slammer - with the pair living in "fear for our lives each day" and only being able to contact family members via letter. Richard said he "missed the first steps and first words of my baby daughter" which he "can never get back". And Paul's detention saw him torn away from his wife, their five children, and his three brothers. Richard explained how survival became his "full time job" where he either had the choice to "survive or give in". Describing just how he got through it, he said: "I just had to pull on all of the tools I've learned over my life to stay strong, basically. "That involved things like meditation, daily routines involving exercise, and as I said, pulling on the resilience. "I've learned from some of the sports I do regularly. "I like to run ultra marathons, and I do a lot of rock climbing and mountaineering, and through this I've learned to be resilient and to have sort of focus and make the right decisions that are gonna get you through." On the 100th day, Richard and Paul were finally freed, but neither of them could process their ordeal and instead focused on putting "one foot in front of the other". 13 13 13 Richard explained: "We packed our things, said our goodbyes and left the prison, and we left in the clothes we were wearing which was a pair of shorts, flip-flops, and a vest. "We left with our lawyer with a rucksack and two massive plastic bags in each hand, and we walked out. "We literally walked out of the prison gates. "It was very surreal. It took days to sort of catch up mentally." The first moment Richard processed his ordeal was when he finally had access to a clean, hot shower. He said: "Whilst we were in the prison, the water was not clean, so we had to disinfect ourselves after every shower. "Just simply to have a hot shower and then put some clean clothes on was just amazing." Just when they thought their ordeal was over, the two were held for another 42 days on conditional release - which Richard described as being like "a prison in itself". While he was able to finally see and speak to his family over the phone - including his daughter - it "brought new challenges because we were still having to fight our case and to secure our release". Richard said: "It wasn't guaranteed and even until the last the last day we didn't know how long we would be there. "We were still fighting to get our passports back and get our names cleared, get the charges of espionage and sedition dropped - so we we didn't know whether we'd be there for another week or another three months. "So that was that was really tricky to deal with that uncertainty." Richard ended up being released on his 30th birthday. He said that while he is happy to be home with his family, "it's going to take some time to adjust" and there are "some things I will need to unpack" due to the ordeal he had to endure. Despite this, he is "excited about the future". 13 13 13
