The officers of the Samegrelo-Zemo Svaneti Police Department of Georgia’s Ministry of Internal Affairs have seized an additional 47 so-called crypto mining devices during searches in Mestia municipality.
Authorities said the devices were discovered as part of ongoing investigative actions into illegal electricity consumption linked to digital currency generation.
The investigation establishes that locals were systematically producing cryptocurrency and receiving illegal income through the unauthorized consumption of large amounts of electricity, law enforcement said.
Police added that intensive investigative measures are continuing to identify other individuals involved in the case and to take appropriate legal action.
The case is being investigated under Subsection “b” of Part 2 of Article 229 of the Criminal Code of Georgia, which concerns violations of electricity use rules and carries a penalty of up to three years in prison.
Earlier, police reported the seizure of 148 crypto mining devices in Mestia municipality during an operation targeting similar alleged illegal activity. The devices were found in six locations.
The investigation in that earlier phase also focused on claims of systematic cryptocurrency production through unauthorized electricity consumption.
Vice Prime Minister Mamuka Mdinaradze previously said a large-scale electricity metering operation would be launched in Mestia to identify illegal and hidden consumption linked to crypto mining.
He said electricity consumption in the municipality reached 133 million kilowatt-hours in 2025, compared to around 10 million in similar municipalities, estimating damage at GEL 20-25 million and adding that the issue increases electricity costs for consumers nationwide.
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