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The clandestine miners are also making use of free electricity doled out to mosques throughout Iran by the government, it was said.

According to Mahsa Alimardani, a researcher at Oxford University’s Internet Institute, under-fire miners have been shifting their operations into mosques, raking in thousands of dollars in crypto.

She revealed on Twitter: “Mosques receive free energy in Iran.

“Iranians have set up bitcoin miners in them – there’s around 100 here, producing around $260,000 a year.