West Midlands Police were expecting to find a cannabis farm in a unit in Birmingham but instead found a massive Bitcoin mine, according to CNBC.
- Police said they received reports with “classic signs” of cannabis farms — multiple visitors, visible wiring and ventilation ducts, and heat coming from the building.
- A raid on the unit in Sandwell was conducted on May 18.
- Officers found some 100 computers which were operating on electricity stolen from the main supply. The power was estimated at thousands of pounds.
- Sandwell Police Sergeant Jennifer Griffin said the unit was the second crypto mine encountered in the West Midlands.
- Griffin said that while cryptocurrency mining is not illegal, stealing power from the main supply to operate it is.
- Bitcoin produces 39.95 megatrons of carbon dioxide a year, according to Digiconomist. This is comparable to emissions of New Zealand.
- China was the top Bitcoin miner accounting for 70% of global mining between January and April. Inner Mongolia plans to ban cryptocurrency mining and existing activities.
BTC/USD is down 7.87%.
