Overview

• Qian admitted at Southwark Crown Court to acquiring and possessing criminal property linked to bitcoin and was remanded in custody pending sentencing.
• The Metropolitan Police seized 61,000 BTC in a years-long probe, a haul now valued at roughly £5–5.5 billion and described by the force as the world’s largest single crypto seizure.
• Investigators say the bitcoin traces back to a 2014–2017 investment fraud in China that harmed about 128,000 people, with Qian later entering the UK on false documents and attempting to launder funds via property.
• An associate, Jian Wen, was convicted in 2024 for laundering 150 BTC and received a six-year, eight-month sentence following the Met’s linked investigation.
• Ownership of the seized crypto remains contested in civil proceedings, with media reports noting government interest in the assets and the value having risen sharply since the initial seizure.