Cops raid 10 premises stealing electricity for bitcoin mining in Taiping

 

No arrests were made during the operation on bitcoin mining in Taiping. (Police pic)

PETALING JAYA: A bitcoin mining operation, running on stolen electricity, was busted when police raided 10 premises in Taiping, Perak yesterday.

District police chief Osman Mamat said 480 units of bitcoin machines, three computer processing units (CPUs) and three modems were seized in the joint operation conducted with Tenaga Nasional Berhad (TNB).

He estimated the value of the seized items at RM720,000.

No arrests were made. The 10 premises also had no business licences.

The case is being investigated under Section 427 of the Penal Code (for committing mischief and thereby causing loss or damage) and Section 37 of Electricity Supply Act 1990 (for tampering), Harian Metro quoted him as saying.

Four days ago, a 70-year old landlord in Selangor was slapped with a RM695,000 fine by TNB after his tenant was suspected of tampering with the electricity meter for bitcoin mining activities.

Wu Tuan Chiang said he rented his shoplot in Bandar Puteri Puchong to an “IT system solution company” for RM1,600 a month in May 2019. The tenants then absconded without a trace.

Wu was among 10 building owners who took their case to MCA’s Public Services and Complaints Department head Michael Chong.

Chong said the 10 owners had jointly accumulated fines totalling RM1,758,000 following the misuse of their properties. - FMT