Johor Police Bust Bitcoin Mining Syndicate Stealing Electricity Worth RM67,502.30
Johor police have busted a syndicate involved in Bitcoin mining using stolen electricity from Tenaga Nasational Berhad (TNB). The operation, codenamed Ops Letrik, was carried out by the Johor Contingent Police Headquarters' Criminal Investigation Department and TNB's Southern Region SEAL team.
Three local men aged 26 to 46 were arrested in Iskandar Puteri, Johor Bahru Utara, and Kulai for suspected involvement in the Bitcoin mining operation. The police seized 71 cryptocurrency mining machines, two computers, two laptops, five routers, two monitors, two computer keyboards, a mobile phone, and two vehicles.
The syndicate is believed to have used direct tapping connections that bypassed legitimate TNB electricity meters, allowing their Bitcoin mining operations to run without paying bills. Initial investigations revealed the syndicate had been operating for about a month before it was dismantled, following intelligence gathering by police and TNB.