Illegal Crypto Mining Farm in Bukhara Region Discovered Stealing 2.1 Billion UZS in Electricity
The Prosecutor General’s Office has recently uncovered yet another illegal cryptocurrency mining farm, this time in the Bukhara region of Uzbekistan. During an inspection of a non-residential building owned by a local resident in the Gijduvan district, authorities found 22 Antminer L3+ devices being used for unauthorized cryptocurrency mining.
Preliminary estimates suggest that the illegal mining operation consumed electricity worth 2.1 billion UZS, leading to the initiation of a criminal case under theft charges. In addition to the 22 mining devices, law enforcement authorities also seized four Whatspower P21 devices and 28 faulty Antminer L3+ units from the premises.
This discovery comes after the detection of the largest illegal mining farm in 2024, which was found in the Syrdarya region earlier this year. That farm consisted of 107 cryptocurrency mining devices and had consumed electricity worth 34.3 billion UZS over a two-year period.
Furthermore, in December of the same year, a “gray” mining farm was uncovered in the Samarkand region, where cryptocurrency mining was carried out using 89 devices in the basement of a family-owned enterprise. This operation had consumed $2.2 million worth of electricity.
Overall, in 2024, “UzEnergoInspection” identified significant instances of gas and electricity theft amounting to 1.4 trillion UZS. This led to the revocation of licenses from 51 CNG filling stations and the discovery of 91 illegal mining farms across the country. Authorities continue to crack down on such illegal activities to uphold the law and ensure fair practices in the cryptocurrency mining industry.
