LAPD recovers $2.7M worth of Bitcoin miners stolen in airport heist

The Los Angeles Police Department has recovered $2.7 cardinal worthy of Bitcoin mining machines it alleges were stolen by a transgression ringing successful a heist astatine the city’s airport.

The LAPD said connected April 22 that detectives from its Cargo Theft Unit, on with the city’s Port Police, the railroad-based Union Pacific Police, and the city’s Airport Police, arrested Oscar David Borrero-Manchola and Yonaiker Rafael Martinez-Ramos implicit the thefts.

Authorities claimed the brace are “prominent members” of a South American transgression ringing tied to the theft and merchantability of stolen goods successful and astir Los Angeles.

The LAPD said searches of retention portion facilities successful the San Fernando Valley, northeast of downtown Los Angeles, recovered $4 cardinal worthy of stolen goods, including the Bitcoin (BTC) mining rigs taken from Los Angeles International Airport “as the shipment was astir to beryllium loaded onto a level headed to Hong Kong.”

Detectives besides recovered and seized implicit $1.2 cardinal successful allegedly stolen tequila, clothing, shoes, speakers, coffee, assemblage wash, and favored food.

Some of the allegedly stolen products were recovered astatine a retention installation successful downtown Los Angeles. Source: Los Angeles Police Department

Borrero-Manchola and Martinez-Ramos were booked astatine Van Nuys Jail successful the city’s northwest. Borrero-Manchola was cited for receiving stolen spot and was released, portion Martinez-Ramos was arrested connected a no-bail warrant.

The LAPD said that “the probe remains ongoing, and further arrests whitethorn follow.”

Crypto mining rigs fetch apical dollar 

The LAPD didn’t stock the fig of machines it seized oregon what exemplary the rigs are, but a typical, current-model Bitcoin mining machine sells for betwixt $3,000 to implicit $5,000.

Related: Americans mislaid $9.3B to crypto fraud successful 2024 — FBI

US instrumentality enforcement has recovered stolen crypto mining rigs successful the past. In July, the LAPD said it arrested a antheral it alleged was successful possession of stolen Bitcoin mining rigs worthy $579,000, seizing them from a cargo van and retention unit.

LAPD detectives arrested Bryan Thola, alleging his van contained stolen Bitcoin miners. Source: Los Angeles Police Department

One of the largest thefts of Bitcoin mining rigs happened successful precocious 2017 and aboriginal 2018 successful Iceland, wherever a radical robbed information centers to marque disconnected with over 600 machines.

The rigs reportedly ended up successful China, arsenic conscionable 3 months aft they were stolen, Chinese authorities seized a akin fig and model of mining rigs successful Tianjin, a metropolis southeast of the capital, Beijing.

Magazine: How Chinese traders and miners get astir China’s crypto ban