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According to a report from the Turkish Anadolu Agency, the Kosovo government has launched a crackdown on cryptocurrency mining in a northern municipality where Serbs make up the majority of the population.
Economy Minister Artane Rizvanolli has reported that 174 crypto-mining devices have been seized by the police in #Zubin Potok, with failure to pay electricity bills being cited as a reason for the illegal activity. Rizvanolli took to social media to announce the operation. The predominantly Serb northern part of Kosovo has not paid for electric power for over 20 years, and Serbia, which does not recognize Kosovo's independence, is home to the majority of the population. In contrast, the rest of the region is largely inhabited by ethnic #Albanians.
The office has highlighted that the raids were conducted on Good Friday, a significant holy day for Orthodox Christians. Meanwhile, #Blerim Vela, the cabinet chief of Kosovo President Vjosa #Osmani, has claimed that Serbia is portraying the crackdown as an attack on local Serbs while supporting criminal activity in northern Kosovo.
In January 2022, Pristina banned the extraction of cryptocurrencies across Kosovo, citing the adverse impacts of the global energy crisis. Last year, hundreds of crypto-mining machines were seized, and the ban was reinstated in August. It has been reported that the outstanding electricity and water bills in four Serb municipalities in the northern region of Kosovo exceed €300 million (nearly $330 million).