{
  "id": 6994211,
  "title": "Stolen Electricity is Powering Illegal Crypto Farms Across the Globe",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/12/stolen-electricity-is-powering-illegal-crypto-farms-across-the-globe",
  "topic": "finance",
  "section": "Finance & Markets",
  "published": "2026-09-12T21:00:00.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "OilPrice",
    "slug": "oilprice",
    "url": "https://oilprice.com/Energy/Energy-General/Stolen-Electricity-is-Powering-Illegal-Crypto-Farms-Across-the-Globe.html"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Electricity theft is a growing issue worldwide, transcending economic boundaries. While it is more prevalent in underdeveloped regions with subpar grid infrastructure, even developed nations face this challenge. This illicit activity can manifest in various ways, from individual households to colossal cryptocurrency mining facilities. Recently, Mexican authorities dismantled an underground operation in Puebla, wherein 300 computers were utilizing stolen electricity to mine cryptocurrency 24/7. The illicit operation was drawing power from a federal hydroelectric complex, possibly linked to a broader money laundering scheme.\n\nThe energy consumption is significant, and the noise generated is the reason operators often choose remote locations. This was the case in Puebla, where authorities were alerted due to the proximity to the Nuevo Necaxa dam and a substantial power connection. Mexican officials emphasize that this is merely one of several similar illegal schemes occurring in the state and neighboring areas.\n\nMexico's Federal Electricity Commission is leading a nationwide effort to curb electricity theft, which has been escalating. According to the latest data from January to July 2024, losses due to theft, meter tampering, and illegal connections amounted to 6,346 GWh, equivalent to around 13.8 billion pesos, or approximately $817 million. Unfortunately, this figure is likely to rise in 2025 and 2026.\n\nMexico is not the only country grappling with this issue. Cases of electricity theft for cryptocurrency mining can be found in countries like England and developing nations. However, Southeast Asia seems to be disproportionately affected. Malaysian authorities have intensified their crackdown on illegal Bitcoin mining, which cost the country approximately $1.1 billion between 2020 and 2025. During this period, police identified 14,000 illicit Bitcoin mining sites across the nation. The consequences extend beyond financial losses; they pose a critical threat to energy security.\n\nAuthorities worldwide are sounding the alarm on the increasing interconnection of cryptocurrency mining schemes with organized crime. While cryptocurrency mining itself isn't inherently criminal, links have been found between illegal mining, online gambling, money laundering, and Southeast Asia's extensive industrial-scale cyber scam networks. In Cambodia, crypto has been tied to forced labor, and in Kyrgyzstan, known as Cryptostan due to the numerous mines exploiting subsidized energy rates, virtual assets are becoming entwined with various criminal activities, including cyber fraud, embezzlement, money laundering, and the concealment of illicit funds.\n\nIn Mexico, suspicions abound that Bitcoin could be linked to the recent multiple homicide of a rock star and his entire family. For every operation uncovered and dismantled, countless others persist undetected, particularly in impoverished nations with limited capacity to detect theft and insufficient resources.",
  "summary": "Electricity theft is a global problem, and it’s getting more dire all the time. While the problem is most common in developing countries, where grid infrastructure is limited and utilities and state authorities have lower oversight capacities, developed countries are not immune either. This theft can occur in many forms and at many scales, from individuals tapping into power lines to power their…",
  "key_points": [
    "Stolen electricity powers illegal crypto farms globally.",
    "Mexican authorities seized 300 computers mining crypto in Puebla.",
    "Global crackdown on electricity theft for crypto mining intensifies."
  ],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}