Bitcoin Mines Busted: Curb Your Crypto, Malaysia! (You Won’t Believe This Power Bill!)

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Alright, listen to this: Malaysian cops, they’ve dismantled a bitcoin mining “syndicate.” That’s right, a syndicate—very dramatic. All happening in Hulu Terengganu and Marang. By the way, have you ever even heard of these places? I haven’t. They sound made up, but apparently they’re quite real because people there are crazy for electricity. 💡💰

So, during something called Op Letrik—which, let’s face it, sounds more like a rejected Bond villain than a police operation—the police, with Tenaga Nasional Berhad’s “Special Engagement Against Losses” unit (a title I want on my business card, by the way), raided two places. Not one, two. Where were these places? A house in Bukit Perpat (someone’s living room, probably packed with sweaty computers) and a commercial joint in Wakaf Tapai (maybe a bakery, who knows?).

And what did they find? 45 illegal Bitcoin mining machines. Forty-five! That’s not a hobby, that’s an obsession. You know the type: thinks crypto’s going “to the moon,” but actually just stealing from the electric company while wearing flip-flops. 🚀🩴

The police chief, Datuk Mohd Khairi Khairuddin—guy with a lot of Ks in his name—says these properties were rigged up to dodge the electric meters. It’s like when your neighbor “forgets” to pay you back for pizza, but on the national grid scale.

Apparently, TNB (that’s the electric company) lost about RM36,000 every month from this little crypto caper. That’s eight grand in U.S. money! (But, you know, doesn’t buy as much as it used to. Thanks, inflation. 🍕)

They also snagged a pile of other “equipment,” all worth roughly RM225,000. I’m assuming it’s the kind of stuff you buy when you’re both a criminal and deeply into YouTube tech reviews.

Here’s the best part—nobody arrested. Not a soul. All the evidence is now sitting in a police locker somewhere, probably making the lights flicker from leftover crypto residue. And don’t worry, an investigation is “ongoing”—which, if you watch police shows, means, “We’ll get to it after lunch.”

So, the charges? Theft, mischief, some Section 37 jazz from the Electricity Supply Act of 1990. I mean, if you’re gonna break the law, pick something snazzy. Possible outcome: five years in jail, up to RM100,000 in fines. Or both. Or neither! 🏛️

Malaysia’s Big Bitcoin Splurge (Hot Wires Edition)

This isn’t even a one-time thing. Apparently, Malaysia is lousy with illegal bitcoin miners. Earlier this year: Kuala Lumpur, house fire, firefighting turns to fight-the-wire. Cops come in, see wiring that looks like a plate of spaghetti and—shocker!—crypto rigs everywhere. 🔥🍝💻

Here’s a fun number: from 2018 to 2023, all these illegal miners cost Malaysia’s electricity provider $755 million. That’s not small change. That’s their “oh no, I’ll shop at Aldi now” number. Since 2020, Tenaga Nasional Berhad says over $101 million lost. I mean, who knew bitcoin mining was the country’s leading crime, right after jaywalking and complaining about the heat?

And it isn’t just Malaysia. Iran, Venezuela—they’ve all got people running fans, lights, and dreams on stolen power, causing blackouts, cranky energy ministers, and a lot more sweating. Authorities are cracking down, miners are rooting around for more loose wires, and everyone’s just a little more paranoid about their next power bill.

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2025-05-01 17:19