UK seizes $15 million in dinosaur bones from laundering suspect.

6 hours ago7 min read1 comments

In a stunning forfeiture that reads like a John le Carré novel grafted onto a paleontological dig, British authorities have seized more than £12 million (approximately US$15. 6 million) in assets, including three complete dinosaur skeletons, from Chinese national Su Binghai, a suspect enmeshed in a sprawling international money-laundering scandal.The settlement, detailed by a National Crime Agency lawyer at a London court hearing, reveals a complex financial ecosystem where prehistoric bones were allegedly used as a high-value, portable store of illicit capital, not unlike digital assets in the modern era. Su agreed to relinquish these monumental fossils, alongside a portfolio of nine London apartments purchased for around £15 million, a clear indicator of the scale of the funds in motion.Intriguingly, the settlement terms allow him to retain 25 percent of all sale proceeds, a tactical concession often employed by agencies to secure a guaranteed recovery and avoid protracted, costly legal battles in different jurisdictions. This case is not an isolated incident but rather a symptom of a broader, more sinister trend in high-finance crime: the use of alternative assets—from antiquities and art to, now, irreplaceable scientific heritage—to obfuscate the trail of dirty money.Su’s previous legal entanglements suggest a sophisticated network; he was previously implicated in a separate money-laundering probe, painting a picture of an operator skilled in navigating the shadow economies that span continents. The very nature of these dinosaur skeletons—their immense value, relative portability compared to real estate, and their appeal to a niche, ultra-wealthy collector market—makes them perfect instruments for value transfer and storage outside the traditional banking system.This seizure should send shockwaves through the auction houses and private dealerships of New York, Hong Kong, and Geneva, which have long been the conduits for such transactions. From a risk-analysis perspective, this event signals a heightened regulatory and law enforcement focus on the non-fungible token (NFT) and high-value collectibles market, predicting increased scrutiny and potential legislative action.The consequences are twofold: while a victory for financial integrity, it also raises urgent questions about the repatriation of such culturally significant items. Will these skeletons, once evidence, find a home in a public museum in Britain, or will their fate be determined by complex international claims? This case is a stark reminder that the tools of financial crime are constantly evolving, and the battle against money laundering is now being fought not just in bank vaults but in the hallowed halls of natural history museums and the private galleries of the super-rich.

#featured

#money laundering

#Su Binghai

#UK

#asset seizure

#dinosaur fossils

#London property

#Chinese national

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