Miners stole electricity worth 6 million rubles for cryptocurrency mining in a barn.

Illegal miners stole electricity worth 6 million rubles while mining cryptocurrency in a shed near Kaluga, reported the prosecutor's office of the Kaluga region. Energy workers discovered the illegal connection to the networks.

At the end of March, employees of the Maloyaroslavets Electric Network Repair Service discovered a fact of illegal non-contractual connection during a scheduled inspection of the power grids. The investigation established that unknown individuals had illegally connected to the networks by extending a cable from the power transmission line to a wooden shed they had built.

They installed mining equipment in the building. During the investigation, it was seized. As a result of the crime, PAO "Rosseti Center and Volga Region" - "Kalugaenergo" suffered damage of more than 6 million rubles, the statement said.

A criminal case has been initiated for causing damage of particularly large scale as a result of the illegal activities of a mining farm. The investigation has been taken under the control of the district prosecutor's office.

At the end of April, miners who caused damage of 200 million rubles were detained near Irkutsk. They used about 500 devices for cryptocurrency mining, paying for electricity at a preferential rate.

Previously, the group of companies "Rosseti" reported 130 recorded cases of illegal connections to power grids for cryptocurrency mining. Following the inspections, more than 40 criminal cases have been initiated, and the damage amounted to over 1.3 billion rubles.