£5bn Bitcoin Bust
Zhimin Qian confesses to massive crypto fraud in UK, the largest seizure ever Alesia Kozik : Pexels

A massive £5 billion Bitcoin fraud scheme unravelled on 29 September 2025, as Chinese national Zhimin Qian pleaded guilty in London's Southwark Crown Court to possessing criminal cryptocurrency assets.

This confession followed the Metropolitan Police's seizure of 61,000 Bitcoin from Qian, marking the world's largest crypto seizure and exposing how fraudsters exploit digital currencies for money laundering. The case highlights rising crypto fraud risks in 2025, with authorities recovering assets tied to over 128,000 defrauded victims.

Zhimin Qian Orchestrates £5 Billion Fraud in China

Zhimin Qian, also known as Yadi Zhang, ran a large-scale investment scam through her company Tianjin Lantian Gerui Electronic Technology, promising unrealistic returns of nearly 300 percent to elderly investors. Between 2014 and 2017, she defrauded more than 128,000 people, converting stolen funds into Bitcoin to obscure their origins.

Dubbed 'the goddess of wealth' by victims, Qian fled China amid a 2017 crypto crackdown, entering the UK illegally with false documents. She attempted to launder proceeds by buying luxury properties, including a £5 million house in Hampstead Heath and Dubai assets worth over £500,000.

These assets, uncovered during police searches, reveal the scale of her lavish lifestyle funded by fraud, prompting UK courts to freeze them ahead of potential victim restitution proceedings scheduled for November 2025. Her schemes targeted vulnerable individuals, underscoring the human cost of crypto-enabled fraud.

UK Police Seize 61,000 Bitcoin in Landmark Operation

The Metropolitan Police launched their investigation in 2018 after receiving intelligence on suspicious asset transfers. Officers raided Qian's north London home on 31 October 2018 and discovered digital wallets holding 61,000 Bitcoin.

Initially valued at hundreds of millions, the seizure now exceeds £5 billion due to Bitcoin's price surge, surpassing prior records like the US's 94,000 Bitcoin from the Bitfinex hack. Detective Sergeant Isabella Grotto noted that securing guilty pleas from Qian and her accomplices 'was the result of hard work in the UK and China.'

Qian evaded capture for five years until her April 2024 arrest alongside accomplice Hok Seng Ling, who also pleaded guilty to money laundering. Jian Wen, another associate, received six years and eight months in prison for handling 150 Bitcoin worth £12.5 million today.

An X post from @blockstartrench declared, 'WORLD'S BIGGEST BITCOIN SEIZURE FROM A WOMAN Authorities seized 61,000 BTC worth $6.7 BILLION from chinese woman Zhimin Qian'.

Global Money Laundering Case Exposes Crypto Vulnerabilities

This fraud case exemplifies how cryptocurrencies facilitate organised crime. Deputy Chief Crown Prosecutor Robin Weyell stated, 'Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies are increasingly being used by organised criminals to disguise and transfer assets.'

Detective Sergeant Grotto led a seven-year probe, reviewing thousands of documents across multiple jurisdictions to link Qian's Bitcoin holdings to the fraud. 'When our team located Zhimin Qian, she had been evading justice for five years, and her arrest triggered a complex investigation requiring evidence from multiple jurisdictions,' Grotto stated.

International cooperation between UK and Chinese authorities was key to proving the assets' criminal origins. Sentencing for Qian and Ling is set for 10 November 2025, amid debates over whether the seized assets should compensate victims or bolster UK reserves.

The seizure includes additional assets like gold and cash valued at £11 million as of July 2025. As victims seek restitution, the case warns of escalating fraud threats in digital finance.

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