The Republic of Kosovo’s law enforcement agencies recently seized 174 ASIC miners from Serbs residing in the northern part of the country.
The police stressed that the electricity consumption in these areas has significantly increased in recent years, and residents have been reluctant to pay their bills.
Four municipalities in the north of Kosovo, where Serbs mostly reside, consume 372 GWh per year.
This consumption was 267 GWh in 2017 and 214 GWh in 2011. Unpaid bills for electricity and water in these municipalities have exceeded $330 million.
According to Artane Rizvanolli, the Minister of Economy of the Republic, the practice of not paying bills attracts illegal miners who steal electricity.
The theft of electricity is so rampant that it is hindering the implementation of the energy deal with Serbia.
The Kosovo authorities have banned cryptocurrency mining in the country since 2021 and have been preventing the smuggling of equipment to combat electricity theft.
The police are also taking steps to stop the illegal mining of cryptocurrencies.
The confiscated 174 ASIC miners were discovered in the city of Leposavich, where Serbs make up 97% of the population. In other news, it was reported that the cost of cryptocurrency mining equipment in Russia has increased by 15-30%.