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A Chinese national has been found guilty of a key role in what is believed to be the world's largest cryptocurrency seizure, worth over £5 billion ($6.7 billion).
Himin Qian, also known as Yadi Zhang, pleaded guilty on Monday at Southwark Crown Court, London, to embezzlement and unlawful possession of cryptocurrencies.
According to the Metropolitan Police, between 2014 and 2017, she ran a large-scale fraud in China, defrauding over 128,000 victims and storing the stolen funds in the form of bitcoin.
Police said her guilty plea follows a seven-year investigation into a global money laundering ring. In total, 61,000 bitcoins were seized from Qian.
The investigation began in 2018, following information received about the transfer of criminal assets.
According to the lead investigator on the case, Detective Sergeant Isabella Grotto, Qian had "evaded justice" for five years before her arrest, which was only possible after a complex international investigation.
She had fled China using forged documents and entered the UK, where she attempted to launder the stolen money through the purchase of real estate.
In this activity she was assisted by a Chinese restaurant employee, Jian Wen, who was sentenced to six years and eight months in prison last year for her role in the criminal operation.
Wen, 44, had laundered the proceeds of the fraud and moved from living above a restaurant to a "million-pound rental home" in north London, according to the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS).
She had also bought two properties in Dubai worth over £500,000. The Metropolitan Police said they had seized over £300 million in bitcoin from Wen.
Wen claimed to have purchased the properties for an employer from China, but the CPS stated that the large quantity of bitcoins and the lack of evidence of their source indicated they were derived from criminal activity.
According to Chinese media outlet Lifeweek, in 2024 it was reported that investors, mostly aged 50 to 75, had invested "hundreds of thousands to tens of millions" of yuan in schemes promoted by Qian.
The schemes capitalized on the popularity of cryptocurrencies in China at the time, promising daily dividends and guaranteed profits.
Qian's company claimed to help China become a financial and technological hub, presenting alleged projects and investments across the country.
Some of the victims – including businessmen, bank employees and members of the judiciary – were convinced to invest in Qian's scheme through friends and family.
They were said to know very little about Qian, who was described as the "goddess of wealth."
"Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies are increasingly being used by organized criminals to hide and transfer assets, allowing fraudsters to profit from illicit profits," said Deputy Chief Prosecutor Robin Weyell.
“This case, which involves the largest seizure of cryptocurrencies in the UK, demonstrates the scale of profits that can be generated from fraud.”
Monday's conviction marks the "conclusion of a dedicated multi-year investigation" that has involved police and Chinese authorities, said Will Lyne, head of the Metropolitan Police's Economic and Cyber Crime Command.
The Metropolitan Police stated that investigations are continuing.
The CPS is working to ensure that fraudsters cannot recover stolen funds. Many of the victims have received some of their money through a compensation scheme set up in China, the CPS said last year.
Zhimin Qian is currently in custody awaiting sentencing. A sentencing date has not yet been set.
The BBC has contacted the Chinese embassy in the UK for comment./ BBC
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