electricity theft

Malaysia

2026-09-30 11:19:19

Malaysian police detain two men in suspected electricity theft tied to Bitcoin mining

Police in Perak, Malaysia, detained two local men to assist an investigation after discovering a site in Seri Iskandar suspected of using illegal power connections for Bitcoin mining, according to Techub News. The operation was carried out jointly with national utility Tenaga Nasional Berhad, or TNB. Officers seized 30 Bitcoin mining machines at the location, along with a router, a network 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. No further details on the suspects or the scale of the alleged power theft were disclosed in the source report.

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Mexico

2026-09-19 12:56:05

Mexican authorities raid remote Puebla crypto mining site with about 300 machines

Mexican federal authorities raided a suspected illegal cryptocurrency mining site hidden in the Sierra region of Puebla in early September 2026, uncovering roughly 300 machines, transformers, 80 medium-voltage terminals and eight satellite dishes inside an isolated property. The operation was led by Mexico’s Federal Attorney General’s Office, or FGR, with support from the navy and state police. Local reports described the equipment as GPUs, suggesting the site may have been mining GPU-compatible cryptocurrencies rather than Bitcoin. Investigators said the case appears tied to large-scale electricity theft near the Nuevo Necaxa hydroelectric area. A major clue was an abnormal power connection, including an unauthorized transformer installation. Prosecutors have opened the case under suspected theft of state energy, while forensic accountants are tracing how the equipment was purchased and whether money laundering was involved. The report says mining itself is not a standalone crime in Mexico and is not banned in principle, even though cryptocurrencies are not recognized as legal tender. That regulatory gap, combined with the economics of mining, has made stolen electricity especially attractive. Citing estimates linked to the Cambridge Bitcoin Electricity Consumption Index, the article notes that producing one Bitcoin costs close to $45,000, while BTC traded around $77,000 to $78,000 in early September. With electricity often accounting for 60% to 80% of mining costs, stolen power can push operating costs close to zero.

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Mexico

2026-09-14 08:06:53

Mexican authorities seize underground crypto mine in Puebla, probe power theft and money laundering

Mexican authorities have uncovered a large underground cryptocurrency mining operation in the mountainous Tlaola area of Puebla, where investigators found about 300 active professional GPU units, a pad-mounted transformer, roughly 80 medium-voltage terminals, and eight satellite internet antennas. The raid was confirmed by the Puebla state government on Sept. 6 and involved Mexico’s Federal Attorney General’s Office, the Navy, and state public security officials. The case is now being examined on two fronts. One centers on alleged electricity theft, with investigators looking into whether the site drew power without authorization from nearby infrastructure linked to the Federal Electricity Commission, or CFE. The other focuses on whether virtual assets generated by the mining setup may have been used to give illicit funds a lawful appearance. Officials have confirmed the existence of the mine and the equipment seized, but they have not disclosed wallet addresses, the scale of funds involved, or any evidence tying the operation to a specific criminal group. That leaves the money-laundering angle as an active line of inquiry rather than a proven offense. The discovery has also drawn attention because the site sat near the Nuevo Necaxa hydroelectric system in a remote mountain region, where high power use and equipment noise could go less noticed.

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Mexico

2026-09-09 12:13:29

Mexico widens crackdown on illegal crypto mines after dam-powered site with 300 computers is dismantled

Mexico is expanding its search for illegal crypto mining operations after authorities dismantled a secret site in rural northern Puebla that allegedly used electricity siphoned from the Nuevo Necaxa dam. Local media said Puebla’s Public Security Secretariat plans to extend the hunt into neighboring states as officials try to curb large-scale power theft linked to unauthorized mining. Francisco Sánchez, head of the agency, said these operations consume heavy amounts of electricity and create significant noise, which is why operators tend to choose isolated and remote locations. Authorities in Puebla also suspect the dismantled mine may have been used to legitimize and launder proceeds from other illegal activity. The Protos report also noted a separate Mexico case involving bitcoin. Prosecutors believe the killings of Jonathan Meléndez, his pregnant wife Ana Paula Barragán, their three-year-old daughter Sofía, and 21-year-old nanny Aleyda Romero were motivated by a BTC stash the attackers believed was worth millions of dollars. Diego Sebastián N and Gerardo N were arrested on September 2. Prosecutors said no BTC was taken, and a later witness account referred to a device holding 3 million pesos in crypto, or about $177,000.

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Mexico

2026-09-09 09:28:29

Mexico Seizes 300 Crypto Mining Machines Illegally Connected to Hydroelectric Power

Mexican authorities have seized 300 crypto mining machines from a property in Tlaola, Puebla, after investigators said the site was illegally drawing electricity from a federal hydroelectric complex in the Sierra Norte region. The operation involved federal prosecutors, the Navy, and Puebla state police, according to the state security ministry. Officers also confiscated transformers, medium-voltage terminals, and functioning satellite internet antennas. Local reports cited by El País and Mexico News Daily described the machines as GPUs, suggesting the operation may have been mining tokens that can still be produced with graphics cards rather than Bitcoin. Mining itself is legal in Mexico, but prosecutors are preparing an electricity theft case. State Security Minister Francisco Sánchez said the site drew attention because mining consumes large amounts of power and generates heavy noise, which often pushes operators into remote areas. Investigators linked the probe to reports from a zone near the Nuevo Necaxa dam and said the site appeared to be part of a broader network exploiting hydroelectric infrastructure. Authorities have not ruled out money laundering. Forensic accountants are tracing the funding behind the hardware, while Mexico’s Federal Electricity Commission is assisting in the investigation.

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Brazil

2026-08-02 03:23:04

Brazil police seize illegal Bitcoin mining site with 15 ASIC rigs and 3 servers

Brazilian police uncovered a hidden illegal Bitcoin mining operation at a scrap recycling yard during a routine inspection tied to metal theft and fencing, according to Odaily. Officers seized about 15 ASIC mining machines and three servers, with the equipment valued at more than 200,000 Brazilian reais, or roughly $39,400. Bitcoin mining itself is not illegal in Brazil, but the case centers on electricity theft. Local utility Cemig estimated losses of around 60,000 reais per month, equivalent to about $11,800, from unauthorized power use linked to the mining setup. A 37-year-old employee at the recycling yard was arrested on the spot after failing to explain where the equipment came from and not providing invoices. Police said the employee was detained on theft and fencing charges. Authorities also opened a case against a 31-year-old man and a 31-year-old woman responsible for the business, and said they are tracing where the mined cryptocurrency was sent.

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Malaysia

2026-07-30 17:49:05

Malaysia police arrest two illegal mining suspects, seize 73 Bitcoin rigs

Police in Malaysia arrested two men and seized 73 Bitcoin mining machines during a raid in Tronoh on Tuesday night, according to Techub. The operation, called “Op Elektrik,” involved searches at three properties. The suspects were identified only by age, 40 and 52. An assistant commissioner from the Batu Gajah district police said a technical inspection by the national power utility confirmed that the mining setup had been drawing electricity through illegal connections. Police said the operation was run from two abandoned houses and one unoccupied residence, with the machines connected directly to unauthorized power lines instead of legal meter connections. The two suspects have been remanded for three days as the investigation continues. Authorities said the case will be handled under Section 427 of Malaysia’s Penal Code, covering property damage and electricity theft, and Section 37(1) of the Electricity Supply Act 1990, which covers interference with electrical installations. Techub, citing crypto.news, said Malaysian authorities have continued to crack down on similar power-theft mining operations in multiple areas recently.

1980

Malaysia

2026-07-09 15:13:13

Malaysia Seizes 1,720 Bitcoin Mining Machines in Electricity Theft Crackdown

Malaysian police inspected 75 premises after public complaints and found 30 involved in illegal bitcoin mining and power theft, leading to the seizure of 1,720 mining machines and other equipment.

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