A drug bust gone Bitcoin G

The West Midland Police in England experienced an amusing shock on May 18th. In an operation aimed at fishing out anti-drug operations, the troops found a “classic bitcoin mine” instead.

The raid

The uniformed men made their way to the warehouse in Sandwell Town after receiving evidence of suspicious activity at the location.

The official police report said the warehouse at an industrial facility in Sandwell met all of the requirements to be an indoor cannabis grow farm.

The police’s statement also said they heard that several strangers were always visiting the site at different times of the day. The outer part of the camp was characteristically lined with many cables and ventilation ducts; which further solidified the anti-drug team’s suspicions.

A police drone was also used to search for heat and it took in a significant amount of heat sources.

From previous experience, police believed that this discovered artificial heat was used to create the optimal temperature conditions that cannabis plants need to survive the cold English climate.

With all of these previous steps taken, the West Midlands Police cannot be blamed for not following due process prior to the raid.

Instead, the police came across an unprecedented finding; the warehouse was filled with several high-performance computers that consume a considerable amount of heat to mine the first cryptocurrency; Bitcoin.

What is a Bitcoin Mine?

This is a Bitcoin mining farm in which new Bitcoins are generated in an energy-intensive process and then put into circulation.

Bitcoin mining is one of the most critical aspects of the blockchain network. It is needed for the development and improvement of the blockchain ledger.

The presence of sophisticated computers and high energy consumption are one of the “tells” of a Bitcoin mine. These computers are used to continuously solve overly complex mathematical computing problems. Fossil fuels, especially coal, are also used in large quantities.

The total cost of these computer units and the cost of running a mining operation are much higher than the value of the currency it creates. Right now, the value of a single bitcoin after a crash in the market a few weeks ago is around $ 40,000.

This is the main reason these morning farms use stolen electricity to make a profit.

I have to point out that Bitcoin mining operations are not illegal in the UK.

What did the police do?

The operation wasn’t entirely pointless as the facility had stolen thousands of pounds worth of electricity from the national grid. This information was obtained when police contacted the electricity company Western Power.

The owners of this unit bypassed the main electricity supplier.

Mining requires a large amount of energy, and this farm didn’t pay for the land it was using.

A Bitcoin mining expert estimated that the people behind this tech scam stole around $ 29,500 of electricity from the grid for every month the operation ran. That is $ 20,000 more than the value of Bitcoin they would have generated over the same period.

No one was on the farm at the time of the arrest warrant and the raid. So no arrests were made. Instead, the equipment found in the unit – around 100 computer systems – was confiscated by West Midlands Police.

Sergeant in charge of the operation, Jennifer Griffin, said the seized devices will be investigated under the Crime Investigation Act and may remain in the police’s possession on a permanent basis.

She also mentioned that the force will be making inquiries to identify the owner of the unit as well as the other people who visited the unit.

Police believe that Bitcoin is mainly used by criminals to indiscriminately procure drugs and weapons.

Other operations carried out by the West Midlands Police

The warehouse wasn’t the only place that West Midlands Police raided in the past five weeks. The force planned and carried out an anti-drug campaign that ran between May 17 and 23. More than 40 addresses were searched and dozens of unsuspecting drug dealers arrested.

Police confiscated thousands of pounds of cash and hundreds of drugs.

The raids targeted locations in Dudley, Sandwell, Walsall and Wolverhampton and a total of 84 people were arrested.

The success of these operations was thanks to the coordination and cooperation of the neighboring police forces in these cities.

Reports published by the West Midland Police indicate that these organized criminal groups were suspected of being involved in the illegal cultivation of cannabis or leading the supply chains for cocaine and heroin. Weapons collections were confiscated, from sawed-off shotguns to counterfeit pistols designed to fire live cartridges.

The police also procured over 500 packs of Class A drugs, multiple burner phones, mixed media, cannabis and more than £ 13,000 in cash during these raids.

“I am committed to protecting vulnerable people who are ruthlessly exploited,” said Detective Inspector Simon Foster. He said the Violence Reduction Unit was working tirelessly to ensure the safety of the young population.

The commissioner promised to use his position to curb the activities of the drug lords involved in the crime.

West Midlands Police are working with local authorities to protect and safeguard the young people involved in these illegal activities.

Commissioner Foster said: “Children should be considered children first”. The negative activities of these drug organizations will have a negative impact on these children. Children should grow up in a safe environment and at the same time receive appropriate care.

Conclusion

The discovery of a crypto mine in the Great Bridge Industrial Estate was certainly not what the police expected.

Last month, the troops’ intensified anti-drug campaign was duly noticed and appreciated by the residents of the affected areas.

With the support of Detective Superintendent Simone Foster, more of these raids should be carried out soon. In no time, all illegal drug deals in these areas would cease.

ARE DRUG BUSTS VERY WORTH …

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