by BERNAMA / pic by BLOOMBERG 

NILAI – Police busted a syndicate stealing electricity supply to carry out bitcoin mining activities in raids on nine premises here yesterday which resulted in a seizure of RM1.6 million.

District Police chief Supt Mohd Fazley Ab Rahman said the integrated operation in collaboration with Tenaga Nasional Berhad (TNB) and the Negeri Sembilan Police Contingent headquarters raided four premises in Bandar Enstek and five in Bandar Baru Nilai and seized 581 bitcoin mining machines.

He said TNB suffered a loss of RM2.1 million as a result of the illegal activities carried out for almost a year.

“The operation was carried out from 1 pm until 5 pm and the police arrested a local man and a Chinese national who are in their 30s.

“They claimed to be the technicians. During the raid, they were inspecting and doing maintenance work on the bitcoin mining machines,” he told a press conference here.

The case is being investigated under Section 379 and 427 of the Penal Code as well as the Electricity Supply Act 1990, he added.