The UK Crown Prosecution Service has ordered Sen Hok Ling, a convicted “professional money launderer,” to pay $7.6 million (£5 million) within three months or risk additional jail time.
Ling, a Malaysian national, helped Zhimin Qian, a convicted Chinese Bitcoin fraudster, move her funds between February and April 2024. He received 83.7 BTC from Qian and converted it to cash using UAE bank accounts and third parties.
The CPS described Ling’s actions as part of a “sophisticated money laundering operation” involving millions of pounds. He was sentenced to four years and 11 months in prison in November 2025.
Qian, who ran one of China’s largest Ponzi schemes via her company Lantian Gerui, defrauded more than 128,000 investors out of pensions and life savings between 2014 and 2017. She pleaded guilty to fraud and money laundering, receiving 11 years and eight months in prison.
When she fled to the UK under the name Yadi Zhang, Qian attempted to cash out 61,000 BTC, valued at nearly $7 billion, the largest crypto seizure in UK history. Authorities discovered the Bitcoin during a raid on her Hampstead mansion.
Civil proceedings are ongoing to determine how the Bitcoin will be distributed. While victims may be reimbursed, excess funds could go to the UK Treasury.
Experts say the UK Proceeds of Crime Act 2002 allows authorities to seize overseas criminal assets, giving the government broad powers to recover funds from fraudsters like Qian and Ling.
The case highlights the UK’s growing role in tackling international crypto crime while exploring ways to repay victims and strengthen its position in the global cryptocurrency economy.
