Perak police raid illegal Bitcoin mining site in Seri Iskandar, arrest two men

Police in central Perak, working with Malaysia’s national utility Tenaga Nasional Berhad (TNB), raided an illegal cryptocurrency mining site in Seri Iskandar and arrested two local men, according to The Star, as cited by ChainCatcher. Investigators said the suspects were believed to have tapped electricity lines illegally to power Bitcoin mining machines. During the operation, authorities seized 30 Bitcoin mining rigs, along with a router, a desktop switch and a roll of electrical wire. The case is being investigated under Section 427 of the Penal Code and Section 37(1) of the Electricity Supply Act 1990. Police said power theft tied to crypto mining is not only unlawful, but can also inflict major losses on the electricity provider and create a fire hazard.