The operation represented a loss close to 130 million Guarani, about 17 thousand dollars.
Those involved are exposed to sentences of up to a decade of jail.
An installation of cryptocurrency mining that operated clandestinely in the department of Alto Paraná, Paraguay, was dismantled during an operation carried out by the National Electricity Administration (ANDE).
The operation took place in a house located at kilometer 14, Acaray side, in the area known as Jardines del Acaray.
During the Inspection, ANDE technicians, accompanied by representatives of the Department of Loss and Legal Advice Management of the entity, detected an illegal electrical connection that supplied energy to equipment used for cryptoactive mining.
The intervened connection was registered under the service identification number (NIS) 2717986, in the name of Bernardina del Carmen Moreno Benítez.
Thus, the technicians found a direct connection to the meter and an additional wiring, which allowed to use electricity without being recorded. Finally, A user voluntarily delivered six machines used to undermine cryptocurrencies.
According to the Estimates of the Ande, This illegal connection represented an economic loss close to 130 million Guarani a year For the country’s electrical system – about $ 17,100 according to data of tradingview.
After lifting the corresponding act, the teams They were seized and the case sent to the Public Ministry, which will be in charge of continuing with criminal investigation.
In accordance with current legislation, Those responsible could face sentences of up to ten years in prison for the improper use of electrical energy.
From the Ande they stated that these interventions are part of a program aimed at combating energy theft, protecting the national electrical infrastructure and ensuring equitable supply for all users.
In fact, last January, and together with the Public Ministry, the institution carried out a search in a clandestine mining installation, located in the September 7 neighborhood within the Santa Barbara neighborhood (department of San Pedro).
On that occasion, around 180 mining equipment and two transformers were seized. The investigation revealed that the connection did not have a meter and that the energy subtraction reached an average of 18.2 amps, which generated monthly losses estimated at more than 247 million Guarani (more than $ 31,000).
A sector not exempt from conflict
Paraguay has established itself as an attractive destination for Bitcoin mining (BTC), thanks to its abundant and economical hydroelectric energy, mainly supplied by the Itaipu dam.
However, in recent years, this activity has also generated discomfort among the inhabitants of various areas, in addition to illegal connections to the electricity grid.
As reported by Cryptonotics, the residents of the Santa Lucía neighborhood have denounced the negative impact caused by one of the largest mining farms in the country, due to the constant noise produced by the ventilation systems that cool the thousands of installed equipment.
