The U.K.’s Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) has frozen 85 luxury properties in London linked to a Chinese national wanted in his home country for allegedly running illegal gambling operations. The freeze was issued through Unexplained Wealth Orders and Interim Freezing Orders under the Proceeds of Crime Act.
The individual, referred to as “Mr. X,” is identified through investigative records as 40-year-old Su Jiangbo, who is wanted by Chinese authorities. Reports indicate he used a St. Kitts and Nevis “golden passport” to establish U.K. companies that purchased at least $108 million in real estate across central and south London, including a $13-million penthouse with views of St. Paul’s Cathedral and the River Thames.
Su appears on an arrest warrant list in Fujian province, China, alongside 37 others suspected of crimes such as illegal gambling, fraud, and cybercrime. Corporate records suggest he began acquiring London properties in mid-September 2023 and continued until June 2025.
The CPS stated the orders were aimed at assets suspected to have been acquired with illicit funds. Su has not been charged or convicted in the U.K., and civil recovery proceedings will allow him three months to prove the lawfulness of the funds used for his property purchases.
Investigations also reveal that Su created 12 U.K. companies, at least 10 of which purchased the properties. Experts note that new-build developments can be exploited for money laundering, especially through bulk purchases. While anti-money laundering rules apply to solicitors and agents involved in property transactions, gaps in oversight may allow suspicious funds to enter the market.
Unexplained Wealth Orders, introduced in 2018, empower authorities to investigate the source of high-value assets, but civil recovery is contested in court and not guaranteed. Su’s case underscores the continued focus on using these orders to trace and recover potentially illicit wealth in U.K. real estate.
