Jian Wen, a former UK takeaway worker convicted of laundering Bitcoin money, must pay more than $3.78 million (£3.1 million) or risk spending an additional seven years in prison.

The order comes as part of a confiscation order following a conviction for money laundering. Wynn, 42, was previously sentenced to six years and eight months in prison at Southwark Crown Court after he was linked to a cryptocurrency wallet containing 150 bitcoins - worth around $15 million at today's prices.

A recent Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) announcement said: “Prosecutors told the court of the sheer volume of Bitcoin seized, and the lack of any legitimate evidence of how it was obtained, all of which suggested it was criminal property.” CPS did not immediately respond to a request for further comment from Decryption.

This news is followed by the UK's National Crime Agency (NCA) and police Giving her greater powers To “confiscate, freeze and destroy” cryptocurrencies used by criminals last year.

Cryptocurrency crime is becoming a growing area of ​​concern in the UK. A report released in August 2024 found that Up to $5.1 billion The value of illicit crypto transactions is tied to the country annually.

The Metropolitan Police seized Bitcoin wallets with an initial estimated value of more than 300 million pounds ($364.75 million) in an investigation involving Boone, saying there was no legitimate explanation for the existence of the funds.

In 2019, police say Wayne bought two properties in Dubai worth more than £500,000. She claimed she worked for a Chinese national who asked her to make the purchases and denied the money was proceeds of crime.

The court determined that Wayne had gained £3,500,113 from the criminal conduct, and the value of his available assets was £3,126,572. She must pay this amount within three months or face a possible prison sentence of an additional seven years to her sentence of six years and eight months. If more assets are discovered, you will still be liable for the difference between the total benefit and the current confiscation order.

Modified by Stacey Elliott.