JOHOR BARU: Three men who stole electricity to mine cryptocurrency worth up to RM100,000 at residential and commercial areas have been arrested.
Johor police chief Comm Datuk Ab Rahaman Arsad said the suspects, aged 26 to 46, were nabbed through intelligence and information-sharing with Tenaga Nasional Bhd.
He said the suspects comprised a manager and two technicians who tended to the installation and operation of cryptocurrency mining machines at four premises in Johor Baru, Iskandar Puteri and Kulai.
“Based on initial investigations, the syndicate operated for about a month and mined cryptocurrency worth between RM80,000 and RM100,000,” he said.
Comm Ab Rahaman said the syndicate directly tapped electricity without going through legitimate TNB meters, enabling it to operate without paying electricity bills based on actual tariff rates.
They operated from three houses and a shoplot rented by the syndicate through a third party, he added.
He said police also seized 71 cryptocurrency mining machines, computers, laptops, routers, monitors, keyboards, mobile phones, padlocks, keys and two vehicles.
Comm Ab Rahaman said the suspects, who earned about RM5,000 each from the activities, have been remanded until tomorrow under Section 427 of the Penal Code and Section 37(1) of the Electricity Supply Act 1990.
He said from January last year to this June, Johor police raided 16 cryptocurrency mining premises and seized 158 mining machines.
“TNB is estimated to have suffered nearly RM1mil in losses due to illegal electricity tapping for cryptocurrency mining. Such activities also pose fire and public safety risks,” he added.
