Perak police seize 48 bitcoin mining machines in Seri Iskandar power theft raid

IPOH (Nov 11) — Perak police have confiscated 48 bitcoin mining machines in a recent operation targeting illegal electrical connections used for cryptocurrency mining at a residential area in Seri Iskandar, according to Supt Hafezul Helmi Hamzah, the chief of the Perak Tengah district police headquarters. The Criminal Investigation Division of the IPD collaborated with Tenaga Nasional Berhad (TNB) engineers to execute the raid.

The seized equipment included the mining machines, two fast ethernet switches, a router, and a roll of cut electrical cable. The investigation is being conducted under Section 427 of the Penal Code and Section 31(1) of the Electricity Supply Act 1990. The police emphasized the gravity of illegally connecting electrical supply for cryptocurrency mining, as it not only violates the law but also incurs financial losses for utility providers and poses risks to public safety, including potential fire hazards.

In light of this, the police urged the public to refrain from engaging in any illegal activities and encouraged them to report any suspected cryptocurrency mining operations involving electricity theft to the authorities.