Chongqing concludes appeal of drug trafficking case involving virtual currency money laundering, defendant sentenced to 8 years in prison

The Fifth Intermediate People's Court of Chongqing recently concluded an appeal case involving drug trafficking using the new method of "Internet + virtual currency + logistics mail". From August 2021 to July 2023, the defendant Zhang contacted drug buyers through WeChat and other means, mainly selling marijuana, "stamps" and other types of drugs. Zhang handed over the purchased packaged drugs to a special person for safekeeping. After reaching a transaction intention with the drug buyer, he provided the drug buyer with a virtual currency website. After confirming that the drug money was collected in the form of virtual currency, he placed an order on a courier platform, and the drug custodian handed the drugs over to the courier platform for delivery to the drug buyer, and Zhang paid the drug custodian. According to statistics, Zhang placed orders through express delivery platforms, and had drugs delivered by drug custodians for more than 1,600 times; collected funds through virtual currency accounts for more than 1,200 times; and withdrew the collected virtual currency to his Alipay, WeChat and bank cards through multiple transfers, totaling more than RMB 400,000. Chongqing No. 5 Intermediate People's Court held that the first instance sentence of eight years' imprisonment and a fine of RMB 100,000 for the crimes of drug trafficking and money laundering was appropriate, and upheld the original verdict. (China Anti-Drug)