Yemen Monitor / Newsroom:
The Yemeni Customs Authority seized an advanced cryptocurrency mining device, model Antminer S19k Pro, on Sunday. This marks the second such seizure within two weeks.
According to the state-run “Saba” news agency, customs officials, in cooperation with security agencies at the Sarfit border crossing in Al-Mahrah Governorate (eastern Yemen), managed to intercept the sophisticated mining hardware. This brings the total number of recently seized devices to 16, following a previous successful operation at the Shahin customs point.
Competent authorities explained that the seizure falls under the strict application of customs laws, the Law of the Central Bank of Yemen, and Anti-Money Laundering laws. These efforts are part of a broader anti-smuggling campaign aimed at maintaining financial stability, as such devices are viewed as a direct threat to the national currency, in addition to posing cross-border security risks.
Ahmed Bakrit, Director General of Sarfit Customs, emphasized the importance of customs personnel’s efforts in combating smuggling. He praised the high technical skills of the employees and their ability to detect smugglers’ attempts to mislead authorities by altering the scientific and technical labels of sensitive equipment.
