Interpol and Angola have just dismantled 25 mining facilities, seizing 37 million USD worth of equipment, in the context of an energy crisis and an effective ban.
Interpol, in coordination with the Angolan government, dismantled 25 illegal cryptocurrency mining facilities, seizing equipment worth 37 million USD. This move comes amidst the energy crisis that this Southern African nation is facing, enforcing a mining ban effective from 2024.
In the official statement, the International Criminal Police Organization (Interpol) confirmed that 25 mining facilities operated by 60 Chinese citizens were dismantled. Alongside this, the operation is also part of a large-scale strategy targeting cybercrime across Africa, with a total of 1,209 individuals arrested and over 97 million USD in illegal assets recovered.
The direct cause leading to the crackdown in Angola is the severe power shortage. This country of nearly 39 million people is facing unstable electricity distribution, affecting daily life and production. To protect energy security, the government has enacted a comprehensive criminalization law against cryptocurrency mining, effective from April 2024.
According to regulations, simply possessing equipment or infrastructure for mining purposes can lead to imprisonment from one to five years, along with the confiscation of all related assets. Previously, the Chinese Embassy in Angola had warned its citizens to strictly comply with the new legal regulations.
Angola is not an isolated case. The conflict between the enormous energy demands of the cryptocurrency mining industry and the capacity of the national power grid is emerging as a global trend. Many governments are forced to prioritize electricity for public life and essential economic sectors.
In recent months, in the Republic of Buryatia (Russia), authorities discovered 95 mining machines disguised in a truck, secretly stealing electricity from the public system. Meanwhile, in the U.S., the legal landscape is sharply divided by state: New York has imposed a two-year moratorium on mining based on proof-of-work mechanisms, while Texas has become a haven for large corporations like Riot Platforms and CleanSpark thanks to its open policies and abundant energy supply.
