Georgian police have seized 148 cryptocurrency mining devices in the municipality of Mestia in what authorities described as the first law enforcement operation targeting illegal crypto mining in the mountainous region.

According to Georgia’s Interior Ministry, officers searched six locations in the municipality and confiscated specialised equipment used to generate cryptocurrencies, News.Az reports, citing News Georgia.

“The investigation established that local residents were systematically generating digital currency and receiving illegal income through the unlawful consumption of large volumes of electricity. A significant amount of specialised technical equipment was seized as…