Where does one of the world’s most successful criminal masterminds go to launder their money? For billionaire and alleged fraudster Chen Zhi, the answer was London. From 2019, the 38-year-old Chinese-born businessman called the city his second home. He bought a £12 million mansion on Avenue Road in St John’s Wood, where previous residents have included Sir Philip Green and Rihanna. Meanwhile, Chen was said to be lining his pockets through a network of scam centres in Cambodia, which operated online romance scams and fraudulent cryptocurrency schemes. Thousands of trafficked and enslaved workers were defrauding billions from people around the world.
“London is a world-leading financial centre, but at the same time, a global hub for illicit wealth and corrupt actors,” says Labour MP Phil Brickell as he leads a “dirty money tour” of London. Brickell is the officer of the All-Party Parliamentary Group on Anti-Corruption. Before becoming an MP, he led anti-bribery programmes for NatWest and Barclays. He points down the road to the City, where Chen bought 10 Fenchurch Street – a glistening 15-storey glass-fronted office block – for £95 million in 2019.
