Qian Zhimin (criminal)
Qian Zhimin | |
|---|---|
| Born | 钱志敏 4 September 1978 China |
| Other names | Yadi Zhang (张雅迪), Hua Hua, "Little Flower", "Goddess of Wealth" |
| Criminal status | Imprisoned (as of November 2025) |
| Criminal charge | Acquiring criminal property; possessing criminal property (under the Proceeds of Crime Act 2002) |
| Penalty | 11 years and 8 months' imprisonment |
Qian Zhimin (Chinese: 钱志敏; pinyin: Qián Zhìmǐn; born 4 September 1978), also known as Yadi Zhang, is a Chinese fraudster convicted in the United Kingdom for her role in one of the largest cryptocurrency money laundering cases in history. Between 2014 and 2017, Qian orchestrated a Ponzi scheme in China through her company Tianjin Lantian Gerui Electronic Technology Co Ltd (蓝天格锐; "Blue Sky Greet"), defrauding more than 128,000 investors of approximately 40 billion yuan (£4.2 billion). She fled China in 2017 using a forged passport and settled in London, where she attempted to launder the proceeds—stored as Bitcoin - through luxury property purchases. The Metropolitan Police ultimately seized over 61,000 Bitcoin, valued at more than £5 billion at the time of recovery, described as the largest single cryptocurrency seizure by law enforcement in the United Kingdom.
Qian pleaded guilty to two offences under the Proceeds of Crime Act 2002 at Southwark Crown Court on 29 September 2025 and was sentenced on 11 November 2025 to 11 years and 8 months' imprisonment.