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Zhimin Qian Faces Sentencing in London Over Record 61,000-Bitcoin Seizure

Prosecutors say the cryptocurrency traces to a Tianjin Ponzi scheme that drew in more than 128,000 people.

Overview

  • Southwark Crown Court is holding two days of sentencing hearings on Monday and Tuesday, with a maximum penalty of 14 years in prison.
  • London police say they seized more than 61,000 bitcoins, valued at roughly $6 billion at current prices, in what they describe as the largest crypto seizure to date.
  • Qian pleaded guilty in late September to possessing and transferring criminal property, while the underlying fraud allegations stem from activity in China between 2014 and 2017.
  • She was arrested in York in April 2024 after surveillance of co-accused Seng Hok Ling, with £11 million in cash, gold and crypto seized; associate Jian Wen was convicted in 2024.
  • More than 1,300 presumed victims have engaged in High Court civil proceedings over a UK repayment mechanism, and officials in China and the UK say they are cooperating on asset repatriation.