The Metropolitan Police Service (Met) said it seized 61,000 Bitcoin from Zhimin Qian and valued the cryptocurrency at more than £5.5 billion when it announced the case on 29 September 2025. The force described it as what was believed to be the world’s largest single cryptocurrency seizure. That figure is the Met’s valuation at the time—not a fixed or current Bitcoin value—and a police seizure is not the same as a final confiscation order or compensation for victims.
What did UK police seize?
The Met reported seizing 61,000 Bitcoin from Qian. In its 29 September 2025 announcement, the force put their value at more than £5.5 billion and called the seizure what was believed to be the world’s largest of its kind. The record claim is the Met’s qualified description; the announcement does not establish an independent comparison of every cryptocurrency seizure worldwide.
Bitcoin’s market price changes, so the £5.5 billion figure describes the Met’s valuation at the time of that announcement. It should not be read as the coins’ value today. The Met also reported other assets seized during arrests in April 2024, valued at £11 million as of July 2025. Those assets are separate from the 61,000 Bitcoin.
Where did the Bitcoin come from?
According to the Met, the Bitcoin was linked to proceeds from a fraud that took place in China between 2014 and 2017. The force said the fraud defrauded more than 128,000 people and that Qian stored the illegally obtained proceeds in Bitcoin. That victim count and account of the fraud are the Met’s, rather than a separate estimate presented in the announcement.
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The Met said it began its inquiry in 2018 after receiving intelligence about transfers of criminal assets. Its account describes a fraud and subsequent movement and storage of funds; it does not mean that the people whose money was taken have already been repaid.
How did the investigation and case unfold?
| Date | What the Met reported |
|---|---|
| 2014–2017 | A China-based fraud, which the Met said involved more than 128,000 victims; Qian allegedly stored proceeds in Bitcoin. |
| 2018 | The Met opened its inquiry following intelligence about criminal-asset transfers. |
| April 2024 | Qian and a second defendant, described by the Met as Ling, were arrested. Officers seized encrypted devices, cash, gold and additional cryptocurrency; the Met valued those other assets at £11 million as of July 2025. |
| 22 May 2024 | Jian Wen was sentenced at Southwark Crown Court to six years and eight months in prison. The Met said investigators proved she facilitated movement of a wallet holding 150 Bitcoin, then valued at £1.7 million. |
| 29 September 2025 | Qian pleaded guilty at Southwark Crown Court to acquiring and possessing criminal property, namely cryptocurrency. The Met announced the 61,000 Bitcoin seizure and its valuation. |
| 30 September 2025 | Ling pleaded guilty to transferring criminal property. |
| 10–11 November 2025 | The Met’s September release listed these as scheduled sentencing dates for Qian and Ling; that release does not state the resulting sentences. |
What does “seized” mean for the money and the victims?
A seizure means police have taken control of property during an investigation; it does not, by itself, establish that the property has been permanently confiscated or distributed to victims. In the September 2025 announcement, the Crown Prosecution Service said it would pursue criminal confiscation and civil proceedings. The statement described the intended next steps, not a completed recovery or payment.
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The Met’s release scheduled sentencing for Qian and Ling in November 2025 but does not establish what sentences were imposed. It also does not establish the outcome of later confiscation or civil proceedings, or whether victims received money. Those outcomes should not be inferred from the size of the seizure or the guilty pleas.
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Who was involved?
- Zhimin Qian: The Met linked her to the Bitcoin and said she pleaded guilty on 29 September 2025 to acquiring and possessing criminal property, namely cryptocurrency.
- Ling: The Met said Ling pleaded guilty the next day to transferring criminal property.
- Jian Wen: She was sentenced in May 2024 to six years and eight months in prison for her part in the operation. The Met tied her role to facilitating movement of a wallet containing 150 Bitcoin.
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