Interpol coordinates crackdown on illegal Angola-based crypto miners

Interpol has coordinated a crackdown on illegal cryptocurrency mining operations based in Angola.

In this operation, Interpol worked with Angolan authorities to dismantle 25 illegal crypto mining centers that were being run by 60 Chinese nationals. The crackdown included the seizure of mining equipment valued at over $37 million, which the Angolan government plans to redistribute to vulnerable areas.

This action is part of a broader cybercrime crackdown across several African countries, which led to over 1,200 arrests and the recovery of around $97 million.

Angola faces significant challenges in power distribution and supply, which contributed to the government's decision to implement a mining ban in April 2024 due to the high energy consumption of cryptocurrency mining.

Despite the legal use of digital assets in Angola, the mining ban criminalizes mining activities and possession of related equipment, carrying penalties of one to five years of imprisonment and confiscation of equipment.

This crackdown on crypto mining in Angola exemplifies wider global concerns about the energy consumption of crypto mining and its impact on local power supplies. Similar measures have been taken in other countries with varying regulatory approaches to crypto mining operations.

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