Spanish police officers, while raiding a building over a suspected marijuana farm, discover a Bitcoin mining operation instead. It was a surprising day for the officers as they got more than they bargained for. After getting insider information about a suspected marijuana farm, they ended up unearthing a Bitcoin mining machine.
According to an official press release from the police website, "Agents of the National Police have dismantled the first cryptocurrency mining farm in the province of Seville in the town of Santi ponce. The farm used public electricity and had powerful cooling and ventilation elements for its operation. 22 teams have been intervened with an approximate value that would exceed 50,000 euros."
They mentioned that they were in operation for a suspected marijuana farm but ended up discovering a Bitcoin mining machine instead." Police investigations began on a possible indoor marijuana plantation located in some stables in Santiponce. After the first inquiries, the agents realized that the current indications did not correspond to the cultivation of marijuana, but rather that a cryptocurrency farm could be housed in said facilities of which there are hardly any records in Spain," Spanish police said in the press release.
While reporting what happened, the police said that the Bitcoin mining machines they discovered in the mining farm were fairly new and had an estimated value of over 31,500 euros. According to the police officers, those behind this Bitcoin mining were getting about 2,500 euros as benefits. In addition to the Bitcoin mining machine, a RIG machine was discovered on the farm, with an approximate value of 13,000 euros. This RIG machine, according to the police report, was providing about 1,000 euros in profit for those who owned the farm.
Despite not finding the marijuana farm, which they suspected before raiding the place, finding the Bitcoin mining facilities was a breakthrough for the police officers. Since Bitcoin mining farms were rarely found in Spain, they made many headlines, and people want to know the identity of those involved in the mining.
Bitcoin Miners Made Several Illegal Electric Connections
The Spanish police also discovered that the miners made several illegal electric connections to power their Bitcoin mining equipment. The crypto miners used refrigeration systems and powerful industrial fans while mining cryptocurrencies.
The industrial fans were designed in a way that their job was to move hot air generated in the process of mining cryptocurrencies outside. The police officers discovered that the Bitcoin miners' illegal connections were simultaneously taking a lot of power and money. The electricity used to power the Bitcoin mining farm costs about 2,000 euros monthly.
In the police statement, they revealed they are conducting a forensic analysis of the mining farm and will trace the identities of those behind the Bitcoin mining activities.
"The investigators analyzing the seized material to identify those responsible for these facilities believe that these activities were in an early phase of operation, which is why the police intervention would have dismantled the activity before it was profitable for the organization," the police said.