Luanda: The National Police in the Icolo e Bengo province recently dismantled a clandestine cryptocurrency mining facility located on a farm in the Zango 3 neighborhood of Calumbo municipality. Speaking to the press today (Wednesday), Superintendent Euler Matari, spokesperson for the Icolo e Bengo Provincial Police Command, stated that the shutdown of this illegal cryptocurrency mining facility was made possible by a public tip-off. Investigative operations subsequently launched, culminating in the dismantling of the infrastructure on the 22nd of this month.
According to Angola Press News Agency, the activity was being carried out by six Chinese nationals, who fled the scene, abandoning the equipment behind. During the operation, the senior officer continued, officers seized 50 mining machines (processors), a high-capacity electrical transformer, and the associated cabling.
The police spokesperson reported that all the equipment was connected directly to the public grid of the National Electricity Distribution Company (ENDE) via an illegal connection and without a contract. Such illegal connections can overload local transformers, potentially causing frequent power outages for the local population.
The spokesperson emphasized that this type of activity is illegal in the country, and all seized material will be handed over to the Public Prosecutor's Office. Meanwhile, the National Police urge the general public to report any criminal activity to help ensure public order and safety.
Cryptocurrency mining involves the use of powerful computers running 24 hours a day; each individual machine consumes enough electricity to power 20 households. Law No. 3/24 of April 10, 2024, prohibits the mining of cryptocurrencies and other virtual assets throughout the national territory.
