"Qian defrauded more than 128,000 victims in China between 2014 and 2017 through a Ponzi scheme before fleeing to the UK as an international fugitive. She stored the funds in Bitcoin assets and evaded police for years until she was found at a rental property in York in April 2024. Qian was arrested and subsequently charged with money laundering offences, leading UK police to make the world's largest cryptocurrency seizure of Bitcoin worth more than 5.5 billion at the time she was convicted."
"During a media briefing, officers described finding notes and "musings" from Qian in which she detailed her hopes of "meeting a Duke and royalty". They said the fraudster may have moved to the UK because she "really likes" the country and referred to promotional videos used in her original investment fraud, which made reference to London as being a "fantastic place to live and conduct business"."
Police seized more than 5.5 billion in Bitcoin tied to Zhimin Qian, who ran a Ponzi scheme that defrauded over 128,000 victims in China between 2014 and 2017. Qian fled to the UK and concealed funds in cryptocurrency until she was located at a rental property in York in April 2024 and arrested on money laundering charges. UK authorities executed what was described as the world's largest cryptocurrency seizure at the time of conviction. Prosecutors aim to freeze and confiscate around 4.8 billion in crypto and other assets to keep them beyond criminal reach. Investigators noted Qian's lavish lifestyle and personal notes expressing ambitions involving royalty and London.
Read at www.standard.co.uk
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