Govt vows zero tolerance, power consumption in Wafra plummets amid crypto raids

At a time when the Ministry of Interior has waged a war on illegal crypto mining operations all over Kuwait warning violators that they cannot evade detection, electricity loads have dropped significantly in the suburb of Wafra.

It is only a matter of time, says the Al-Rai daily quoting MOI sources, before all illegal operations are detected and the violators arrested.

Meanwhile, the Ministry of Electricity, Water and Renewable Energy announced that a coordinated campaign targeting illegal mining activities in Wafra led to a sharp reduction in electricity consumption at the main transformer stations — from 85 megawatts to 36 megawatts — a nearly 60 percent decrease, despite the ongoing high temperatures.

Officials revealed that this reduction in consumption is expected to save the ministry approximately 15 million dinars annually in electricity production costs.

The announcement comes a day after a major crackdown led by Acting Prime Minister Sheikh Fahad Al-Yousef, which besides the Minister of Interior, involved Minister of Electricity Dr. Subaih Al-Mukhaizeem, Minister of State for Municipal Affairs and Housing Affairs Abdullatif Al-Mishari, and Minister of State for Communications Affairs Omar Al-Omar, resulted in the seizure of advanced mining equipment from several homes.

Brigadier General Sunaitan Al-Mutairi, Director of the Ministry of Interior’s Anti-Money Laundering Crimes Department, has once again emphasized that cryptocurrency mining is illegal in Kuwait. “There is no industrial license that permits mining activities within the country, and no profession can be practiced without a proper license,” he stated.

Al-Mutairi said mining operations cause “excessive energy depletion and increased loads,” warning: “We will remain vigilant against anyone engaging in such violations. No one is beyond our reach, and it is only a matter of time before offenders are brought to justice.”