The haul included banks of machines, fans and other cooling gear, and the authorities say they also took away two transformers.
Investigators say the operation started after energy inspectors noticed inconsistencies between recorded meter figures and actual power use.
Officers released video of the raid on a ministry Telegram channel. The footage shows police forcing open locked containers and pushing a man to the floor as they searched the premises.
In one container, rows of active machines could be seen, with fans running and cooling systems in place. Other rooms held hundreds more rigs.
Based on reports from the Interior Ministry, investigators believe the suspects used technical knowledge of the power grid to alter meter readings so the utility would show much lower consumption than was actually used.
The suspects behind the illegal crypto mining rig operation were placed in custody and charged with causing “property damage by deception or abuse of trust,” prosecutors said.
The ministry has not released an estimate of how much electricity was taken or the financial value of the theft. Officials also did not say which digital coins were being mined at the site. Police added they are still looking for possible accomplices linked to the operation.
In other areas, hidden setups have appeared underground or inside trucks and vans. Regions mentioned by officials include Dagestan, parts of the North Caucasus and Southern Siberia — places where cheap or poorly monitored power has sometimes attracted clandestine miners.
Featured image from Protos, chart from TradingView
