Novosibirsk police managed to detain one of the largest underground miners in the history of Russia – the owner of several mining farms managed to steal electricity worth 190 million rubles.

According to Irina Volk, a representative of the Russian Ministry of Internal Affairs, power engineers contacted the police after discovering a significant excess in load in Novosibirsk and the region. Employees of the Ministry of Internal Affairs discovered underground farms and detained a 35-year-old resident of the Kalininsky district. It turned out that he turned to an employee of one of the energy enterprises, a 39-year-old local resident, who, thanks to his official position, helped the underground miner illegally connect to high-voltage power lines. The damage amounted to over 190 million rubles.

“During a search conducted by police with the force support of the Russian National Guard at the locations of mining farms, about five thousand pieces of various equipment were seized,” reports Irina Volk.

Now investigators are conducting cases based on crimes under Articles 165, 290 and 291 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation. The underground miner was sent into custody, and his accomplice has so far received a written undertaking not to leave the place.

Recently, the court of the Republic of Khakassia ruled that the underground miner must pay power engineers 3.8 million rubles.