Key facts:
The criminals escaped with more than 15 Bitcoin ASIC miners.
Police found another 7 mining machines at the site, which were confiscated.
In the San José neighborhood of Ciudad del Este, Paraguay, a robbery of Bitcoin miners ended in a violent confrontation between criminals and police, during which gunfire was exchanged. Still, the criminals managed to flee with more than 15 ASIC mining rigs, after which authorities recovered and confiscated seven of these devices.
The incident began in the early hours of Monday, September 9, when the alleged thieves attempted to take Bitcoin miners belonging to Brazilian Anderson de Melo Barros Da Rocha. Police, alerted through the 911 system, arrived at the scene, which resulted in a shootout.
The armed criminals responded to the officers’ fire, managing to escape with most of the stolen equipment. The police intervention led to the arrest of one of those involved and the recovery of part of the loot, report the local press.
In the procedure, the authorities seized at least seven mining machines, which They are now at the disposal of the prosecutor’s office for the relevant investigations.
This event adds to the recent action of the National Secretariat for the Administration of Seized and Confiscated Assets (Senabico), which put More than 500 seized Bitcoin miners were placed at the disposal of the National Electricity Administration (ANDE), reflecting a coordinated effort to combat the theft of electrical energy for illegal Bitcoin mining.
Paraguay has become an epicenter for Bitcoin mining, attracted by low electricity rates and favorable legislation. Hydroelectric power, especially from the Itaipú Dam, provides a significant advantage, attracting both local and international miners.
The country has also been a victim of the rise of unlicensed energy use for Bitcoin mining. This situation has revealed a complex network of corruption and complicity involving public officials. Joaquín Morínigo, a Paraguayan consultant, has highlighted that behind this activity there is not only an economic interest but also a lack of regulation that allows the proliferation of illegal mining farms, which not only consume energy without authorization, but are also linked to activities such as money laundering, as reported by CriptoNoticias.
This article was created using artificial intelligence and edited by a human on the editorial staff.
