The discovery came to light when power engineers noticed a significant surge in electricity consumption in Novosibirsk and the surrounding region. They promptly reported the anomaly to the police, leading to the subsequent investigation. Law enforcement officers, with the assistance of the Russian Ministry of Internal Affairs, uncovered the underground mining operations and apprehended a 35-year-old resident of the Kalininsky district. Further investigation revealed that the perpetrator had enlisted the help of a 39-year-old employee from an energy company, who facilitated the illegal connection to high-voltage power lines due to his official position. The theft ultimately amounted to over 190 million rubles in damages.
“Upon executing a search warrant, police officers, supported by the Russian National Guard, seized approximately five thousand pieces of various equipment from the mining farms,” stated Irina Volk, representative of the Russian Ministry of Internal Affairs.
The investigators are currently pursuing legal action, charging the underground miner under Articles 165, 290, and 291 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation. While the suspect has been remanded in custody, his accomplice has been granted a written undertaking to not leave their current location.
In a recent separate case, the underground miner was ordered by the Khakassia Republic court to pay power engineers a sum of 3.8 million rubles to compensate for the stolen electricity.