An illegal mining farm in the Irkutsk region caused damage to a network company worth 200 million rubles ($2,45 million). Cryptocurrency miners used hundreds of devices to mine cryptocurrencies and paid for electricity at a discounted rate, the organizers of the farm were detained, the regional department of the Investigative Committee reported.

Investigators found out that residents of the dacha non-profit partnership (DNT) Cozy and the partnership of real estate owners (TSN) Molodezhnoye have placed 500 mining devices in the Irkutsk region. They paid for the consumed electricity at a tariff intended for household needs.

A criminal case was opened on the fact of illegal consumption of electricity, classified as fraud committed on a particularly large scale. The investigation team conducted searches, seized equipment and questioned witnesses.

With the help of employees of the Ministry of Internal Affairs, two tenants and the owner of the shopping center were detained, who organized illegal mining of cryptocurrencies on the territory of the Molodezhnoye Shopping Center, the report says. The case against the residents of the DNT "Cozy" has already been sent to court.

Irkutsk region is included in the list of energy-deficient territories where mining is prohibited until the spring of 2031. Previously, the restriction was imposed for the winter period, but the regional authorities insisted that a year-round ban should be introduced.

According to the governor of the Irkutsk region, Igor Kobzev, seasonal restrictions did not allow the use of idle capacities of cryptocurrency miners in winter. Large cryptocurrency mining centers in the south of the region consume up to 650 MW, and with a complete ban on mining, these capacities can be redirected to the needs of socially significant projects, the head of the region believes.