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British businessman accused of spying for China tried to hire former Met Police detective to dig up intelligence on top MPs who were critical of Beijing
John Miller, a British businessman accused by US authorities of spying for China, asked a private investigations firm to gather information on seven UK parliamentarians critical of Beijing. The disclosure raises questions about attempts to target politicians who had spoken out over the treatment of Uyghur Muslims, though the firm says it produced no investigative work for Miller.
Messages show Miller approached former Scotland Yard detective Keith Hunter’s company, Animus Associates, on behalf of Fise Technology, a Hong Kong company owned by Miller’s alleged Chinese intelligence handler, Cui Guanghai. Miller said information on Tom Tugendhat and Iain Duncan Smith would help impress the client; he later said another team had supplied financial and phone records and the case was closed. Miller and Cui were arrested in Serbia in 2024 over alleged efforts to acquire US weapons for China, then fled house arrest for Beijing in August 2025. Animus says it prepared only brief biographies from public sources as part of a proposal, and there is no suggestion it acted unlawfully or knew of the alleged state links.
In short
- Miller sought information on seven China-critical MPs.
- Animus says it did no investigative work for him.
- Miller and Cui fled Serbian house arrest for Beijing.
Explained simply
Uyghur Muslims are a mainly Muslim ethnic group whose homeland is in China’s Xinjiang region. China’s treatment of Uyghurs has been criticised by some British MPs, including Tom Tugendhat and Iain Duncan Smith; Beijing rejects many of the allegations made against it.
John Miller is a British businessman whom US authorities accuse of spying for China. The case also involves Cui Guanghai, who is alleged to have been Miller’s Chinese intelligence handler, and Animus Associates, a private investigations firm run by former police detective Keith Hunter.
The reported approach to the firm concerns information sought on seven MPs critical of Beijing. Animus says it produced only brief biographies using public sources and did no investigative work for Miller. The allegations raise questions about efforts to gather information on politicians and the safeguards around their privacy.