IPOH: Police seized 61 bitcoin mining machines, believed to be linked to electricity theft, through an integrated operation with Tenaga Nasional Berhad (TNB) at nine separate locations around the Manjung district on Thursday (July 31).
Manjung police chief ACP Hasbullah Abdul Rahman said the integrated operation was conducted following investigations by the Manjung police Criminal Investigation Division and a TNB technical team based on complaints 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.
"Preliminary investigations found that the premises involved conducted Bitcoin mining activities by carrying out illegal electrical connections, resulting in huge losses to TNB," he said in a statement on Friday.
He added that TNB estimated the loss of electricity in each location reached thousands of ringgit per month.
"All the machines operate non-stop daily and require very high electricity usage, besides disrupting the electricity supply in the area.
"Not only is this illegal, it can also pose a risk of fire and danger to life and property as the wiring systems have been modified illegally and do not comply with safety standards," he said.
The seized items were taken to Manjung police headquarters in the case being investigated under Section 427 of the Penal Code for committing mischief, including electricity theft, and Section 37(1) of the Electricity Supply Act 1990 for tampering with electrical installations.
He urged those with information to contact Manjung police at 05-688 6222, the WhatsApp hotline at 017-682 8005 or the nearest police station. - Bernama
