Siberian Power Company Finds Illegal Crypto Mining 'Farm' On Its Own Property

An anonymous reader quotes a report from Crypto News: Power providers in the Siberian crypto mining hotspot of Irkutsk have discovered an illegal mining "farm" operating on their own property. The Irkutsk Region Prosecutor-General's Office posted on VK, explaining that an unnamed Irkutsk-based "electric grid supply organization" was "found illegally providing a plot of land" to crypto miners.

The prosecutors explained that the state had set aside the plot to help provide "public utilities." Instead, however, the unnamed company leased the land to crypto miners, who built a "mining farm" on the property. The office said that it had fined the power provider 330 thousand rubles (over $3,120) and censured the firm. Prosecutors have also opened an administrative case against the power company. The report notes that Siberia's cheap electricity and cold winters have attracted crypto miners, causing grid instability and power outages in regions like Irkutsk. "Miners favor the low operating costs of crypto mining farms in Siberia," reports Crypto News. "They also favor the area's cheap power costs and famously low winter temperatures, which help reduce cooling fees."

Despite temporary mining bans from Moscow, illegal operations persist, prompting local crackdowns.

They'll learn

[DrMrLordX]

If you pile hundreds of antminers in one warehouse, you get caught. If you run one antminers every few residences, you don't.

Putin's bribe will be more then the fine!

[Joe_Dragon]

Putin's bribe will be more then the fine!

nothing useful.

[stooo]

nothing useful.

Correction

[Artem S. Tashkinov]

The second link in the news piece is wrong and it must be this [vk.com].

It's in Russian, so I've translated it for you:

The prosecutor's office took measures to eliminate violations of land legislation

The Prosecutor's Office of Kuibyshev district of Irkutsk examined land legislation compliance.

It was found that the grid organization, on the basis of a lease agreement, granted a legal entity the right to use a land plot intended for public utilities for the purpose of mining digital currency.

In this regard, the prosecutor's office sent a statement of claim to the court to prohibit the grid organization to use the land plot not for its intended purpose, and also initiated a case of administrative offense under part 1 of Art. 8.8 of the CAO. 1 article 8.8 of the Administrative Code (use of a land plot not for its intended purpose in accordance with its belonging to one or another category of land and (or) permitted use). According to the materials of the prosecutor's office, the electric grid organization was brought to administrative responsibility with a fine of more than 330 thousand rubles ($3300 or four average monthly salaries for the country).

The elimination of violations is under control of the district prosecutor's office.

If it’s ”illegal” in Russia

[hdyoung]

It means the company wasn’t greasing the right palms. You gotta share your profits with the elites or you get a dose of novichok in your tea or go pavement-diving off a hotel balcony.

Seriously, there are still people in Russia that don’t realize this?