Malaysian Force to Shut Down Bitcoin Mining Rigs That Stole $1.1B in Electricity

Malaysian authorities have established a joint air and ground task force, utilizing high-tech drones to detect thermal signatures and ground police with sensors, to locate and dismantle approximately 14,000 illicit Bitcoin mining rigs. The state-owned utility, Tenaga Nasional (TNB), reported that these illegal miners have siphoned $1.1 billion worth of electricity from the national grid since 2020. The deputy minister of energy transition and water transformation stated that the risk extends beyond theft to potentially damaging national infrastructure. This stolen amount is substantial, equivalent to funding the basic food needs for over 567,000 Malaysians for a year. This crackdown follows a previous surge in electricity theft, which saw a 300% increase between 2018 and late 2024, leading to the shutdown of nearly 2,400 operations.

(Source：CoinDesk)