IPOH: Police confiscated 61 bitcoin mining machines in a joint operation with Tenaga Nasional Berhad (TNB) across nine locations in Manjung, uncovering illegal electricity connections.
Manjung police chief ACP Hasbullah Abdul Rahman said the raids followed intelligence gathered by the Criminal Investigation Division and TNB’s technical team after reports of electricity theft.
“The raids, carried out simultaneously, led to the seizure of 61 mining rigs, nine wifi modems, nine routers and various equipment and connection cables.”
Investigations revealed that the premises were running bitcoin mining operations using illegal power connections, causing significant financial losses to TNB.
He added that TNB estimated monthly losses in each location reached thousands of ringgit.
“All the machines operate non-stop daily and require very high electricity usage, besides disrupting the electricity supply in the area.”
The illegal wiring modifications also posed fire hazards and safety risks, violating electricity supply regulations.
The case is being investigated under Section 427 of the Penal Code for mischief and Section 37(1) of the Electricity Supply Act 1990 for tampering with electrical installations.
Those with information are urged to contact Manjung IPD at 05-688 6222 or the WhatsApp hotline at 017-682 8005. - Bernama
