The Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) announced that they have exposed the largest illegal crypto mining farm in the city of Vinnytsia.
According to the report of July 8, Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) has exposed and documented a large-scale electricity theft in Vinnytsia. The offenders used electricity for illicit activity of crypto mining in one of the former premises of JSC Vinnytsiaoblenerho.
Vinnytsia and capital Kyiv residents set up the mining facility in a former warehouse of JSC Vinnytsiaoblenerho. They were able to conceal theft from the distribution company using electricity meters that did not show true energy consumption.
According to preliminary estimates, the monthly losses to the state ranged from UAH 5 to 7m. (USD 186,200 to 259,300). The excessive consumption could have caused power surges and outages in the surrounding areas and left people without electricity. The SBU initiated criminal proceedings for the theft of water, electricity, or thermal energy through its unauthorized use.
During the authorized searches of the offenders’ residences and crypto farm, law enforcement seized 5000 computers, including “3,800 PlayStations, 500 GPUs (graphic processing unit), 50 CPUs (central processing unit), documents, notebooks, phones, flash drives,” according to the report.
Currently, investigative actions are underway to identify all people involved in an illegal mining farm, possibly including officials of JSC Vinnytsiablenerho.
SBU Department for CI Protection of State Economic Interests, jointly with SBU Office in Vinnytsia, has carried out the operation. The Main National Police Investigation Department under the supervision of the Prosecutor General’s Office.
Since the crypto mining chackdown in China began, the war has taken several dimensions. Amid this crackdown, several hydroelectricity plants in China go on sale as crypto miners migrate abroad. Also in Iran, the country’s largest crypto mining facility was uncovered by authorities, and over 7000 mining computers seized.
