ChainCatcher reported that the Paraguayan government urged lawmakers to pass a bill to impose up to 10 years in prison on illegal Bitcoin miners in response to the massive electricity theft that threatens the state-owned National Electricity Administration (ANDE).

The bill provides that Paraguayan police and prosecutors can confiscate and sell illegal mining equipment to protect the National Electricity Administration from the huge economic losses caused by energy theft. In this crackdown, more than 5,000 ASIC mining machines have been confiscated this year, and legislative momentum is also likely to lead to a temporary ban on Bitcoin mining in the country.