A multiyear scheme defrauded more than 128,000 investors across Asia.
Zhimin Qian, also known as Yadi Zhang, has been convicted in the UK following what authorities say is the world’s largest cryptocurrency seizure of 61,000 Bitcoin, worth over $6.7 billion at current prices.
Qian pleaded guilty Monday to illegally acquiring and holding the Bitcoin, which originated from a fraud she ran in China between 2014 and 2017, according to an official Met statement.
The scheme reportedly defrauded more than 128,000 investors, including business professionals, bank employees, and members of the judiciary, many of whom invested hundreds of thousands or even millions of yuan, often encouraged by friends or family.
Authorities said Qian fled China using false documents and moved to the UK, where she attempted to launder the funds through property purchases. The seven-year investigation involved multiple jurisdictions and cooperation with Chinese law enforcement.
The Met’s Head of Economic and Cybercrime Command, Will Lyne, called the case one of the largest money laundering investigations in UK history and among the highest-value cryptocurrency cases globally.
Other notable examples include the crypto mixer Tornado Cash, sanctioned by U.S. authorities in 2022 for laundering over $7 billion in crypto since its inception in 2019. This included more than $455 million stolen by the Lazarus Group, a North Korean state-sponsored hacking group.
Qian remains in custody awaiting sentencing. Her accomplice, Jian Wen, was jailed last year for helping move part of the stolen funds into UK and Dubai real estate. Authorities seized more than £300 million in Bitcoin from him.
The case illustrates how cryptocurrencies can be exploited for large-scale fraud and money laundering. It also highlights the challenges of tracking digital assets across borders.
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