Angola’s Criminal Investigation Service (SIC), through its National Directorates for Combating Financial, Tax, and Computer Crimes, on Tuesday, April 23, shut down illegal shipyards for illicit cryptocurrency mining and detained 7 Chinese nationals, aged between 26 and 56 years old, in the municipalities of Viana and Belas, both in the Luanda province of Angola.
The Agency swung into action after they received a complaint from an anonymous, who reported about illicit cryptocurrency mining sites. The report triggered a series of micro-operations as part of a thorough investigation, which led to the dismantling of the aforementioned sites.
The Criminal Investigation Service first dismantled the illegal cryptocurrency mining site in the municipality of Viana, in the town of Mulenvos de Baixo, inside a cement block factory, while the second was in the municipality of Belas, next to Via Expressa, inside a material processing factory, where they covertly carried out illicit mining of cryptocurrencies.
It should be noted that during the operation of the two facilities, all materials used in the illegal mining activities were sized, as well as an Akm-type firearm, two vehicles, passports, and phones.
They are currently detained and will be presented to the Public Prosecutor’s office and then to the Guarantee Judge for further procedural steps.
