Kosovo police confiscated 174 ASIC miners from Serbs

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The police of the partially recognized republic of Kosovo confiscated 174 ASIC miners from Serbs living in the north of the republic.

As emphasized in the report of the law enforcement agencies of Kosovo, the consumption of electricity by the areas in which they liveSerbs have grown significantly in recent years, and they are in no hurry to pay for electricity. 

For example, four municipalities in northern Kosovo, where the majority of Serbs live, consumeAt the same time, back in 2017, consumption was 267 GWh, and in 2011 - 214 GWh. 

The amount of unpaid bills for electricity andwater supply in these municipalities exceeded $330 million. And, as the Minister of Economy of the Republic Artane Rizvanolli emphasized, the practice of non-payment of bills attracts underground miners:

“The possibility of electricity theft attractssuch illegal entrepreneurs. Therefore, Serbia is preventing the implementation of the energy deal. We have fulfilled our obligations and call on the other side to do the same.”

As part of the fight against electricity theft, Kosovo authorities announced a ban on cryptocurrency mining in the country back in 2021 and began to prevent the smuggling of equipment. 

Law enforcement agencies are also tryingprevent illegal mining of cryptocurrencies. These 174 ASIC miners were discovered in the city of Leposavich. It is a predominantly Serbian city—Serbs make up 97% of the population.

It was previously reported that the cost of equipment for mining cryptocurrencies in Russia increased by 15-20%, and in some cases - up to 30%.