Russian authorities seize 96 mining machines from an abandoned facility in the Irkutsk region.
Russian prosecutors have announced the discovery of an illegal mining farm hidden inside a Siberian orphanage. According to an official statement from the Irkutsk Oblast Prosecutor’s Office, law enforcement officials confiscated 96 mining machines from a facility located in the village of Kazachye, in the Bokhansky district.
The prosecutors explained that a Siberian non-profit organization, which remains anonymous, was operating the mining farm by installing the equipment inside the orphanage. A court in Irkutsk ordered judicial officers to disconnect the machines and “halt the improper use of the premises.”
Prosecutors stated that the operators of the mining farm endangered human lives by “violating electrical and fire safety regulations.” Authorities pointed out that the responsible parties “did not perform preventive maintenance” on the “electrical equipment and wiring” used. Furthermore, they did not install fire alarms or other safety devices.
The prosecutor’s office has initiated legal proceedings against the head of the non-profit organization for violating energy use regulations. The same individual has also been accused of breaching rules related to the construction and operation of high-energy-consuming equipment and violating fire safety regulations.