Police dismantle illegal Bitcoin mining operation that used stolen water from the São Francisco River

Source: PortaldoBitcoin Original Title: Police dismantle illegal Bitcoin mining operation that used stolen water from the São Francisco River Original Link: https://portaldobitcoin.uol.com.br/policia-desarticula-operacao-ilegal-de-mineracao-de-bitcoin-que-usava-agua-furtada-do-rio-sao-francisco/ An illegal Bitcoin mining operation was dismantled by the Civil Police of Alagoas on Friday (09), in the municipality of Porto Real do Colégio. Despite the action, no arrests have been made so far, and authorities continue investigating to identify those responsible for the infrastructure.

According to the Civil Police, Bitcoin mining centers were found on four farms in the region. The facilities used stolen electricity on a large scale to sustain the activities, through clandestine connections directly to the state’s official power grid of Alagoas.

In addition to energy theft, the criminals were illegally pumping water from the São Francisco River to supply the cooling system of the mining machines.

According to the police, the operation caused an estimated monthly loss of R$ 155,000 in diverted electricity, totaling about R$ 750,000 over five months. The monthly consumption reached approximately 200,000 kWh, equivalent to the energy use of about a thousand households.

“The structures were powered by clandestine connections, the so-called ‘hookups’, at all identified locations. The illegal energy consumption was so high that it caused instability and peaks in the region’s electrical grid, resulting in appliance failures and significant losses for the population,” the Civil Police reported.