Ganja believe it? Police make hash of suspected weed farm raid, pot Bitcoin mine instead

Cops weren’t total dopes: chronic electricity theft means they still smoked crims

West Midlands Police in the UK has revealed that its officers raided a suspected cannabis growing operation and ended up smoking out a Bitcoin mine run on stolen electricity.

A statement explains that the site of the raid, a local industrial unit, bore several signs of a wacky baccy cultivation operation.

“We heard how lots of people were visiting the unit at different times of day, lots of wiring and ventilation ducts were visible, and a police drone picked up a considerable heat source from above,” the statement said. That combo was considered “classic cannabis factory signs” so a warrant was procured and on May 18th officers forced entry.

They found no jazz cabbage but did spot “a huge bank of around 100 computer units as part of what’s understood to be a Bitcoin mining operation.”

The devil’s lettuce wasn’t the only thing missing on site: chronic lack of connectivity to electricity meters was apparent, suggesting the miners had bypassed billing.

“It’s certainly not what we were expecting,” said a blunt canned quote from Sandwell Police sergeant Jennifer Griffin. “It had all the hallmarks of a cannabis cultivation set-up and I believe it’s only the second such crypto mine we’ve encountered in the West Midlands.”

The mining kit has been seized, but no arrests have been made as no-one was present at the time of the raid.

“But we’ll be making enquiries with the unit’s owner”, said sergeant Griffin. ®