In the Irkutsk region, an illegal mining farm with more than 130 installations was discovered consuming more than 2 megawatts of electricity, which is equivalent to the energy needs of about 150 households. This was reported by the Siberian Information Agency (SIA).
Source: SIA
Key Takeaways
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An illegal bitcoin mining farm was discovered in Markovo, Irkutsk, with over 130 mining units.
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The mining farm was illegally connected to the local power grid, causing significant energy theft.
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Authorities estimate the financial damage from this operation to exceed 12 million rubles.
Discovery Of The Illegal Operation
The Irkutsk Electric Grid Company, in collaboration with law enforcement, uncovered the illegal mining farm during routine inspections. The local resident had connected her mining equipment to an overhead power line, running cables to a transformer substation without authorization. This setup allowed her to mine cryptocurrencies at a scale that raised alarms among energy regulators.
Impact On The Local Energy System
The total power consumption of the mining operation was over 2 megawatts, which is a substantial load on the local energy infrastructure. SIA have reported that since the beginning of the year, efforts to curb illegal mining have led to a reduction of 300 megawatts in energy load across the region. This is a significant achievement, considering the ongoing issues with unauthorized energy use.
Legal Actions And Future Implications
Following the discovery, police are conducting investigations to determine the full extent of the operation and the legal ramifications for those involved. The press service of the Ministry of Internal Affairs for the Irkutsk region stated that legal assessments will be made in conjunction with the prosecutor's office regarding the actions of these so-called "gray miners."
Datos: Dirección General del Ministerio del Interior de la Federación de Rusia para la región de Irkutsk