The Ministry of Internal Affairs of Georgia (MIA) says officers have seized an additional 76 crypto mininig devices during searches conducted in Mestia municipality, within the Samegrelo-Zemo Svaneti region.
The ministry says the devices were confiscated as evidence as part of an investigation into violations of rules on the use of energy resources.
In total, police have now seized 330 so-called mining devices during the ongoing probe.
The MIA says the investigation established that local residents were systematically generating digital currency using the equipment and receiving illegal income through unlawful consumption of large amounts of electricity.
Law enforcement officers are continuing investigative activities to identify other individuals involved in the alleged crime and take appropriate legal measures, the ministry says.
The investigation is ongoing under Article 229, Part 2, Subparagraph “b” of the Criminal Code of Georgia, which carries a penalty of up to three years in prison.
Earlier, the ministry said 148 cryptominers were seized in Svaneti on June 4, followed by another 42 devices on June 11.
The crackdown follows comments by Vice Prime Minister Mamuka Mdinaradze, who said metering measures were planned in the area due to excessive electricity consumption linked to illegal crypto mining.
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Mdinaradze announces large-scale metering in Mestia to curb crypto mining
