Authorities in Kazakhstan arrested 23 people suspected of forcing an IT professional to run an illegal crypto mine, according to a report on an information platform supervised by the Ministry of the Interior.
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During searches of illegal mining farms, the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Kazakhstan’s national security service found seven people thought to be members of the gang and a 36-year-old IT professional who was forced to organize the work of the mining farms, the report said.
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Kazakhstan has been trying to root out illicit crypto mining, which draws a lot of electricity from its crumbling grid, while coming up with regulations and taxation to organize the legal industry.
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Another three suspected gang members were arrested as authorities searched for illegally stored weapons, the report said.
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The group was made up of former convicts and “criminally oriented persons” with a history of violent crimes, including debt collection and extortion, according to the report.
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It was making $300,000-$500,000 a month from illicit crypto mining in the Talgar district of the Almaty region, the report said.
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Authorities also seized 6,000 items of crypto mining equipment, worth about $7 million, along with an AK-47 assault rifle, ammunition and pistols.
UPDATE (Aug. 9, 11:13 UTC): Adds “Report” at end of headline.
