PRF seizes Bitcoin mining equipment in Paraíba

The Federal Highway Police (PRF) in Paraíba carried out, last Thursday (05), several actions to combat crime in the region. One of the PRF’s actions resulted in the seizure of foreign products that were being transported without an invoice. The seized products included 18 network servers used for Bitcoin mining.

The operation that seized the mining equipment took place on Thursday afternoon, in the municipality of Queimadas-PB, located in the countryside of the state of Paraíba. During a routine inspection on BR-104, at km 140, the PRF stopped a Ford Ranger pickup truck with two occupants.

According to the Federal Highway Police, the pair were transporting several products of foreign origin. However, the products did not have the proper tax documentation.

Federal Highway Police seize Bitcoin mining equipment

According to those involved, they acquired the Bitcoin mining equipment in Bahia and were going to take it to Campina Grande, in Paraíba.

According to a statement from the Federal Highway Police, among the items seized were 18 pieces of computer equipment used to mine Bitcoin. Given the evidence observed, the Federal Highway Police charged those involved with the illegal act of smuggling. In addition, the Federal Highway Police officers seized the merchandise and sent it to the Federal Revenue Office.

Seizure of Bitcoin mining equipment in Paraíba. Source: Federal Highway Police

Bitcoin mining is the process by which new Bitcoins are introduced to the network and transactions are verified and added to the public ledger, known as the blockchain. The process involves solving complex mathematical problems using computing power.

Initially, Bitcoin miners used CPUs and GPUs. However, today, mining is dominated by ASICs, which are devices designed specifically for this task and offer the highest efficiency in terms of computational power and energy consumption.

Bitcoin mining requires high electricity and cooling costs due to the large amount of computing power involved. Additionally, the equipment needs to be maintained and monitored regularly to ensure efficient performance.

Choosing the right mining equipment depends on several factors, including budget, electricity costs, and the scale of your mining operation.

Follow Todaysgist on