Attorney General Khabibullo Vokhidzoda said at a press conference that cryptocurrency mining is one of the illegitimate activities that caused Tajikistan $3.52 million in damages in the first half of 2025.
Such losses are primarily related to the illegal exploitation of electric power by miners who work without the state’s permission.
Illegal Mining and Electricity Theft Drive Losses
As the Attorney General established, the compensation for unlawful electricity consumption was connected to damages that the state refunded to energy suppliers. People have also been found to smuggle mining equipment into the country, at which point they smuggle and mine illegal digital assets. Police have launched up to five criminal cases against the involved individuals.
More than 190 criminal cases have been filed in the last six months for using illegal electricity since January. The majority of them are linked directly to cryptocurrency mining. Officials reveal that over 3,988 people were arrested for theft of electricity. The outstanding balance to energy companies totals more than 4.26 million dollars. Authorities have stated that both houses and business premises have started secret mining farms without making payments to the energy supply company.
Government Actions and Ongoing Crackdowns
Even though Tajikistan does not have any rules regarding digital currencies, the enforcement bodies still observe and prosecute illegal mining. Vokhidzoda exposed that raiding has become a common practice. Each year, a number of illegal mining sites are closed down in the nation.
Prosecutors in the Sughd region opened seven new cases. Police seized 135 crypto mining machines installed in residential buildings. This location sustained damages worth more than 30,000 dollars. The authorities emphasize that the process of mining entails using heavy-duty computers and a vast supply of electricity, which the majority of the individual miners steal.
Central Asia Faces Shared Challenges
Tajikistan is not the only one with this problem. Illegal mining has also been a major threat to electricity theft; this case applies to neighboring Kazakhstan. Recently, local authorities shut down a big setup that consumed more than 50 megawatt-hours of stolen energy, which could serve a small city of 70,000.
Stolen power in Kazakhstan was estimated at 16.5 million dollars. Workers of one of the regional energy providers were identified as assisting the miners in stealing electricity. Funds earned by the scheme’s organizer were spent on purchasing real estate and luxury cars that are currently lost to the courts.
Kazakhstan has implemented new regulations allowing miners to buy 1 megawatt-hour of electricity only. Every purchase should be made through the Ministry of Energy. These regulations would reduce pressure on the national grid and put mining activities in check.
