UK Bitcoin Seizure Worth £5bn Leads to Guilty Plea in Major Cryptocurrency Fraud

TLDR

• Zhimin Qian (also known as Yadi Zhang) pleaded guilty to a bitcoin fraud affecting 128,000 victims in China
• Metropolitan Police seized 61,000 bitcoins worth over £5bn ($6.7bn), believed to be the world’s largest cryptocurrency seizure
• The fraud operated between 2014 and 2017, with Qian fleeing China using false documents before entering the UK
• Jian Wen, a Chinese takeaway worker, was sentenced to over 6 years for helping launder the proceeds
• Qian awaits sentencing following her guilty plea at Southwark Crown Court

In what authorities describe as the world’s largest cryptocurrency seizure, Zhimin Qian has pleaded guilty to charges related to a massive bitcoin fraud that affected more than 128,000 victims. The 45-year-old Chinese national, also known as Yadi Zhang, admitted to acquiring and possessing cryptocurrency that was criminal property between October 2017 and April 2024.

The Metropolitan Police recovered 61,000 bitcoins worth over £5 billion ($6.7 billion) at current prices. This marks the conclusion of a seven-year investigation into a complex global money laundering operation.

The fraud was orchestrated in China between 2014 and 2017. Qian stored the proceeds in bitcoin before fleeing China using a fake St Kitts and Nevis passport in 2017 to enter the United Kingdom.

UK authorities made a breakthrough in 2018 when they raided a mansion in Hampstead, North London. During the raid, they seized devices containing digital wallets holding the vast sums of cryptocurrency.

Qian appeared in Southwark Crown Court on Monday aided by a Mandarin interpreter. The date for her sentencing has not yet been fixed and will take place after a trial involving others linked to the case.

Victims Lost Millions in Investment Scheme

According to Chinese media outlet Lifeweek, investors who fell victim to the scheme were mostly between 50 and 75 years old. They reportedly invested amounts ranging from “hundreds of thousands to tens of millions” of yuan.

Many victims, including business people, bank employees, and members of the judiciary, were urged to invest by friends and family. The investors had little knowledge about Qian, who was reportedly described as “the goddess of wealth.”

The case highlights how cryptocurrencies are increasingly being used by criminals to hide and transfer illegal assets. Robin Weyell, deputy chief Crown prosecutor, noted that this case “illustrates the scale of criminal proceeds available to fraudsters.”

Accomplice Already Sentenced

Jian Wen, a 43-year-old Chinese takeaway worker, was sentenced to six years and eight months in prison in May 2024 for her role in the scheme. Wen helped Qian launder the proceeds by assisting in property purchases.

Before becoming involved with Qian, Wen had lived modestly in Leeds between 2011 and 2017. She later worked at a Chinese takeaway in southeast London before moving into a six-bedroom house in Hampstead Heath with Qian in September 2017.

While helping launder the fraud proceeds, Wen’s lifestyle changed dramatically. She began driving a Mercedes and enrolled her son, who she flew over from China, in a private school.

The Metropolitan Police seized more than £300 million worth of bitcoin from Wen. In January 2025, a judge ordered her to pay back more than £3 million within three months or face an additional seven years in jail.

Wen had claimed she was unaware the bitcoin came from fraud and insisted Qian had deceived her. She maintained they were running a legitimate jewelry business with branches across Asia.

Detective Sergeant Isabella Grotto, who led the Metropolitan Police investigation, called the case “the result of years of painstaking work.” She noted that when authorities located Qian, “she had been evading justice for five years.”

Will Lyne, head of the Met’s Economic and Cybercrime Command, described it as “one of the largest money-laundering cases in UK history and among the highest-value cryptocurrency cases globally.”

The investigation required evidence from multiple jurisdictions and cooperation with Chinese law enforcement to prove the criminal origins of the assets Qian attempted to launder in the UK.

Qian’s lawyer, Roger Sahota of Berkeley Square Solicitors, stated that by pleading guilty, “Ms Zhang hopes to bring some comfort to investors who have waited since 2017 for compensation.” He added that “the rise in cryptocurrency values means there are more than sufficient funds available to repay their losses.”

However, some reports suggest the UK government may seek to retain the seized funds. Recent reforms to UK crime legislation were designed to make it easier for authorities to seize, freeze, and recover crypto assets.

Qian remains in custody awaiting sentencing. The Metropolitan Police believe this case represents the largest single cryptocurrency seizure in the world to date.