The police in Malaysia have arrested several people involved in illegal mining operations that were stealing electricity.
They are also destroying Bitcoin mining rigs as part of a larger effort to stop crypto miners from taking power illegally. According to a report from Malaysia Gazette, the police in the Perak District recently crushed 985 mining rigs worth RM1.98 million (about $452,500). A video on their X account showed the machines being crushed by a steamroller, with local officials watching.
Malaysian Authorities Destroy Mining Rigs
The Perak Tengah District Police chief announced that the court ordered the destruction of mining equipment that was seized. The equipment was taken during raids on Bitcoin miners from 2022 until April 2024.
Superintendent Hafezul Helmi Hamzah said, “Out of the 24 cases of Bitcoin mining, nine were from 2022, two were from 2023, and one was from 2024. We are disposing of the equipment according to environmental rules for e-waste and solid waste.”
During these raids, police also arrested people suspected of stealing electricity to run the Bitcoin mining operations.
Detecting Unusual Energy Consumption
Last week, the Sepang District Police arrested seven people who are suspected of being involved in illegal Bitcoin mining in the Bandar Baru Salak Tinggi and Taman Putra Perdana areas. According to CryptoPotato, the arrested individuals include three local men and four foreign nationals, all between the ages of 30 and 74.
The police confiscated several items, including 52 Bitcoin mining rigs, three laptops, seven mobile phones, and two vehicles. These items are estimated to be worth around RM250,000 ($57,000). Authorities have started investigating the illegal mining activities, and some of the suspects have been charged in court. It is important to note that the arrested people do not have criminal records and are only suspected of stealing electricity for Bitcoin mining.
In Malaysia, authorities have been concerned about local Bitcoin miners stealing electricity for their operations. Between 2018 and 2023, Malaysia lost about RM3.4 billion ($722 million) worth of electricity to these miners. The energy minister said the miners were able to steal electricity for so long because there were no meters to measure their usage. However, energy companies have now introduced methods to detect unusual energy consumption.
News From cryptopotato.
