Equipment worth millions of dollars was also confiscated by the country’s police force.
Malaysia Police Announces Results from Crackdown on Illegal Miner
According to the Bernama news agency, 627 individuals have been detained by Malaysian authorities since 2020 for participating in crypto mining using stolen electricity. According to the report, law enforcement officers also confiscated mining hardware valued at 69.8 millions Malaysian Ringgit ($16.6 Million).
Tan Sri Acryl Santi Abdullah Sani, Inspector-General Police, stated that the arrests were the result of joint efforts between representatives of Malaysia’s Tenaga Nasional Berhad ( TNB) and the Criminal Investigation Department.
The Royal Malaysia Police (PDRM), in cooperation with the TNB, received nine four-wheel-drive vehicles to use by the JSJ for fighting electricity theft throughout the country. Datuk Baharin din, chief executive officer of TNB, handed the trucks over to PDRM.
Acryl Sani said that the Royal Malaysia Police expressed its highest appreciation to TNB, but declined to give any further details about the operation against the miners. He urged the Malaysian public not to ignore such activities and to report to the police or to the utility any attempt to illegally connect mining equipment with the grid. The official from the police warned:
Also, property owners should be cautious before letting tenants use their premises. They are asked to check on the premises frequently to see if there are any signs of misuse.
After December Malaysian law enforcement stopped a large Bitcoin mining operation, they confiscated over 1,700 coins minting machines in a major crackdown against electricity theft. The raids with the TNB involved more than 70 locations. Nearly half of the locations were discovered to be illegally used for crypto mining. Officials claim that the facilities have used nearly $500,000 of stolen electricity. The Malaysian government destroyed more than 1,000 mining rigs last summer.
