AI-Powered Drones Uncover Illegal Crypto Mining Operation in Şanlıurfa

AI-Powered Surveillance As part of efforts to combat illegal electricity usage across six provinces in the Southeastern Anatolia region, AI-supported drones have uncovered a major illegal mining operation in the Hilvan district of Şanlıurfa.
The technology, which scans vast areas from the air to analyze unusual energy consumption patterns, flagged a structure that appeared to be an ordinary barn as suspicious.
Energy Consumption Equivalent to 1,500 Households Physical inspections conducted by field teams revealed a 1,600-kilowatt unregistered transformer within the building.
Technical examinations determined that the established system consumed approximately 40,000 kWh of illegal electricity per day.
This amount of energy is reported to be equivalent to the daily electricity needs of roughly 1,500 households.
Thermal Cameras and Data Analysis The drones used in the inspections are equipped with high-resolution and thermal cameras that detect the heat emitted by high-capacity transformers.
The collected data is analyzed through AI software, compared with normal consumption data in the region, and anomalies are reported to teams along with GPS coordinates.
Officials emphasized that such illegal connections disrupt grid stability, leading to regional outages and infrastructure damage.