Dagestan under attack: 52 illegal mining farms eliminated, damage to power grids exceeds 129 million rubles
A large-scale crackdown on the shadow cryptocurrency mining sector in Dagestan has yielded impressive results. Since the beginning of 2026, specialists from the energy company "Rosseti North Caucasus" have managed to identify and neutralize 52 illegal mining farms. During the operational measures, 968 units of equipment intended for digital asset mining were seized. These are not just administrative measures—five criminal cases have already been opened for electricity theft, underscoring the seriousness of the situation.
Shocking Numbers: The Scale of Shadow Consumption
Analysis shows that underground operators stole about 2.7 million kilowatt-hours of electricity. This is a colossal volume that has become a burden on legal consumers and the region's energy system. One case has already reached court, where a guilty verdict was handed down. The remaining materials are under investigation jointly with the republic's law enforcement agencies.
The "Dagenergo" branch notes that 952 cases of unmetered consumption have been recorded since the beginning of the year. The total volume of these thefts exceeded 20.1 million kilowatt-hours, and the damage caused to the power grid complex amounted to more than 129 million rubles. Notably, the share of mining in the total volume of stolen energy resources exceeds 13%—this is a systemic problem, not isolated incidents.
Methods of Conspiracy: From False Floors to Forest Camouflage
Dagestan remains one of the most problematic regions for underground mining. In June, energy workers eliminated a farm in the village of Maydanskoye, where 90 devices with a total capacity of about 315 kW were hidden under a false floor and connected to the grids without a contract. Similar schemes are thriving across the country. In the Irkutsk region, police discovered 12 units of equipment in a forest area, camouflaged with netting and connected directly to a power line pole. The damage there exceeded 2.5 million rubles.
The ingenuity of violators knows no bounds. A resident of the Tyumen region mistook a crypto farm on her dacha plot for beehives due to the characteristic appearance of the enclosures. The regional police department is currently conducting a check on this matter. The general logic is simple: electricity costs determine the profitability of mining, so underground operators seek connection points away from metering. Legal sites lose on cost-effectiveness.
Legal Consequences and Risks
Unauthorized connection to the grids carries a fine of up to 15,000 rubles for individuals and up to 200,000 for legal entities. A repeat violation significantly increases the amount, and criminal liability for electricity theft provides for up to two years of imprisonment. Energy workers continue raids together with the police, and the number of identified facilities over less than eight months shows that the scale of the problem in the republic remains consistently high.
My view: these numbers are just the tip of the iceberg. As long as the cost of electricity for legal miners remains many times higher than the cost of theft, the underground sector will thrive. The solution lies not only in criminal cases but also in creating economically attractive conditions for legal mining in regions with surplus energy capacity.