UK Top 10 News

Zhimin Qian, the mastermind behind a massive $5 billion global fraud, has been brought to justice following a seven-year international manhunt and a complex investigation by the Metropolitan Police.
The Chinese fugitive, who also went by the alias Yadi Zhang, led a global investment scam involving Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies that defrauded hundreds of thousands of people in China.
The Met’s investigation revealed that Qian had been using a multi-million-pound rented house in north London as a base for her activities, attempting to launder the vast proceeds of the crime.
Detective Sergeant Isabella Grotto, who led the Met's investigation, stated, “Today marks the result of years of painstaking work.” Qian had been evading justice for five years before her eventual arrest.
The probe required evidence from multiple jurisdictions and the careful review of thousands of documents, with the Met successfully securing ‘compelling evidence’ of the criminal origins of the cryptoassets.
Will Lyne, the Met’s Head of Economic and Cybercrime Command, described the case as one of the largest money laundering cases in UK history.
Qian’s accomplice, Jian Wen, a 44-year-old former Chinese takeaway worker, helped launder the proceeds, moving from a modest home to the expensive north London residence.
Wen was previously jailed for six years and eight months last year for her role, with the Met and Crown Prosecution Service finding suspiciously expensive purchases she made, including two properties in Dubai.
Prosecutors emphasised that the conviction sends a clear message that fraud related to startup companies or any other type will be punished accordingly.