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Massive Seizure of Crypto Mining Equipment in St. Petersburg
Recent reports reveal that Russian authorities have confiscated approximately 2,700 crypto mining machines from a location in St. Petersburg. This action follows an extensive investigation into suspiciously low electricity meter readings over several months.
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The confiscated items included a variety of mining machinery, cooling fans, and other related equipment. The authorities also seized two transformers during the raid.
Details of the Crypto Mining Equipment Confiscation
The investigation commenced after energy inspectors identified discrepancies between the meter readings and the actual electricity consumption. The site in question had been connected to the power grid since March 2018 and operated, according to officials, until August 2025. It was reported that three unnamed individuals from St. Petersburg had initially signed a contract for connecting a commercial property to the grid over seven years ago.
The Russian police, as depicted in footage shared by the Interior Ministry on Telegram, forcibly accessed a container that housed hundreds of active crypto mining machines during the raid. The video, released on the ministry’s Telegram channel, shows officers breaking into locked containers and detaining a man while conducting their search.
Inside one of these containers, rows of operational machines were visible, complete with fans and cooling systems. Other sections of the premises contained hundreds more rigs.
Allegations of Meter Tampering and Legal Proceedings
According to the Interior Ministry’s reports, investigators suspect that the individuals involved exploited their technical understanding of the power grid to manipulate meter readings, leading to significantly lower recorded electricity consumption than was actually used.
The suspects, who were apprehended and charged with causing “property damage by deception or abuse of trust,” remain in custody, as stated by the prosecutors. The ministry has yet to disclose an estimate of the stolen electricity’s monetary value or specify the digital currencies being mined at the location. Authorities are still investigating to identify any additional accomplices associated with the operation.
Discoveries of Smaller Illegal Mining Networks
This significant seizure is part of a broader pattern of similar discoveries across Russia and its controlled territories. In mid-September, officials uncovered an unauthorized mining operation in the Donetsk People’s Republic, where 25 rigs were illegally connected to the grid, bypassing meters. The estimated damage from this operation amounted to 14 million rubles (approximately $170,633).
In other regions, clandestine mining setups have been found concealed underground or inside vehicles like trucks and vans. Officials have identified areas such as Dagestan, parts of the North Caucasus, and Southern Siberia as hotspots for these illicit activities due to the availability of inexpensive or poorly monitored electricity, attracting unauthorized miners.
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