Interpol Shuts Down 25 Illegal Mining Farms in Angola

The International Criminal Police Organization (Interpol) has announced 100 arrests and the seizure of nearly $XNUMX million as part of an operation to combat miners and crypto fraudsters.

Interpol, together with the Angolan authorities, reportedly shut down 25 cryptocurrency mining centers run by 60 Chinese citizens. Law enforcement officers seized equipment worth more than $37 million.

The fight against illegal miners has become a necessary necessity for the authorities of the African country. Angola, with a population of about 39 million people, faces serious problems in the distribution and supply of electricity in different regions. And although the use of cryptocurrencies in the country is not essentially illegal, a ban on mining was introduced in April 2024.

The law provides for criminal liability for mining cryptocurrency, and possession of information, communications and infrastructure equipment used for mining virtual currency is punishable by imprisonment for a term of one to five years and confiscation of equipment, the government representative said.

Many countries have passed laws restricting or completely banning mining cryptocurrency due to concerns about the strain on national power grids. For example, New York City authorities have imposed a two-year moratorium on mining.

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