A British businessman accused of spying for Beijing asked a private investigations firm to uncover “sensitive” information about some of Westminster’s most prominent critics of China, The Mail on Sunday can reveal.
John Miller, 64, of Tunbridge Wells, Kent, and his alleged handler, Cui Guanghai, 44, were arrested in Belgrade last April during an FBI sting. They were accused of attempting to obtain American-made missile launchers, radar equipment and drones for the People’s Liberation Army.
The pair were awaiting extradition to the United States when they escaped house arrest and boarded a private jet bound for Beijing in the early hours. They have not been seen since.
If convicted on US smuggling, stalking and arms-export charges, they faced up to 40 years in prison.
It can now be disclosed that Miller, a recruitment specialist and father of three, approached former Scotland Yard detective Keith Hunter to prepare dossiers on seven senior parliamentarians sanctioned by Beijing after campaigning against the persecution of Uyghur Muslims.
Messages seen by the MoS indicate that Miller asked Mr Hunter’s firm, Animus Associates Ltd, to investigate Tom Tugendhat, then chairman of the Foreign Affairs Committee, along with Sir Iain Duncan Smith, Nusrat Ghani, Neil O’Brien, Tim Loughton, Lord Alton and Baroness Kennedy.
The correspondence suggests the work was commissioned for Fise Technology, a Hong Kong-based front company owned by Cui, who is described as a senior intelligence officer with China’s feared Ministry of State Security.
Mr Hunter asked Miller to clarify the scope of the assignment, writing: “We understand that we need to look at integrity and credibility issues against all of them but is this including anything in their home lives, business, historic?”
John Miller, 64, from Tunbridge Wells, is accused by the FBI of trying to procure weapons and spy for China
Later that evening, Miller told him they needed “something” on Mr Tugendhat and Sir Iain “to impress” the client, while adding: “It doesn’t have to be dirt.” Mr Hunter, who had said he would submit a proposal, replied: “OK.”
Two days later, however, Miller told Mr Hunter that another team had already supplied Fise with “financials and phone records” relating to the politicians. He said the client had therefore “closed the case” with Animus.
Former Conservative leader Sir Iain said last night: “I am astonished. Nobody has informed me that this was happening, that I was being targeted by this nodding donkey of the Chinese, who has now fled the country.”
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There is no suggestion that Animus acted illegally or knew of any connection between the company, Miller and the Chinese state.
The firm produced only short biographies of the politicians, based on publicly available material, as part of a proposal.
More than 9,000 messages exchanged between Miller and his associates from 2018 to 2023 were provided to this newspaper by James DiFiore, 50, a Canadian journalist who worked as an FBI informant.
Miller had instructed Mr DiFiore to write anti-American articles for Chinese readers and produce podcasts portraying the United States in a negative light.
Mr DiFiore was later recruited by the FBI as a “covert human intelligence source” targeting Miller and Cui. He says his work helped expose the pair’s alleged efforts to obtain American weapons.
Mr DiFiore told the MoS that he now feels betrayed by the FBI, accusing the bureau of effectively disclosing his identity in an indictment filed against Miller and Cui.
The former informant says the FBI promised him £111,000 when the operation ended, but that he has not received the money.
He told the MoS: “The FBI burnt me in a court document, and did not pay me the $150,000 they owed me. They had a sacred responsibility of duty of care, and completely abandoned that responsibility.”
On August 4 last year, Miller and Cui escaped house arrest in Belgrade, Serbia, and boarded a Chinese-owned Gulfstream jet bound for Beijing.
Animus said last night: “Animus had a short-lived relationship with Miller. No investigative work was produced for Mr Miller or any entity associated with him.
“When it became apparent that Mr Miller sought to engage Animus in practices that fell outside lawful open-source methods, Animus refused, refunded all monies received and terminated the relationship.”