- When UK police were getting ready to raid what they suspected was a cannabis farm, they discovered a crypto mine instead.
- Police said the mine was stealing thousands of pounds worth of electricity from the main supply.
- “It’s certainly not what we were expecting,” the police said in a statement.
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When police in West Midlands, UK were getting ready to raid what they suspected was a cannabis farm on May 18, they instead discovered a cryptocurrency mine that was stealing thousands of pounds worth of electricity from the main supply.
“It’s certainly not what we were expecting,” Sandwell Police Sergeant Jennifer Griffin, said in a statement.
British police were alerted of numerous people visiting the location at different times of the day. Wiring and ventilation ducts that were visible and voluminous also raised concerns. Following these suspicions, the police flew a drone above the location, which picked up a considerable heat source from above.
“It had all the hallmarks of a cannabis cultivation set-up,” Griffin said.
But upon entry, they discovered a bank of around 100 computer units as part of what’s understood to be a bitcoin mining operation. Griffin said this is believed to be the only second such crypto mine British police have encountered in the region.
“We’ve seized the equipment and will be looking into permanently seizing it under the Proceeds of Crime Act,” Griffin said. “No one was at the unit at the time of the warrant and no arrests have been made – but we’ll be making enquiries with the unit’s owner.”
Cryptocurrency mining has long been criticized due to its heavy energy use and environmental impact. Various research, including a study from Cambridge University, has shown that bitcoin mining around the world uses more energy each year than some entire nations.
“My understanding is that mining for cryptocurrency is not itself illegal but clearly extracting electricity from the mains supply to power it is,” Griffin said.
Western Power, the electricity distribution operator for the Midlands, revealed that thousands of pounds worth of energy had been stolen to power the mine, bypassing the normal electric supply.
More and more governing bodies have raised concerns about the massive energy consumption needed to mine cryptocurrencies.
On May 26, Iran has banned cryptocurrency mining over the summer ahead of an anticipated surge in electricity demand.
China’s Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region on May 19 doubled down on its crypto-mining ban by setting up a hotline for the general public to report suspected activity.
In New York, a bill introduced in the State Senate is seeking to halt bitcoin mining for three years until the state has assessed its impact on the environment.
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