Malaysian Police Bust $25K Monthly Bitcoin Mining Syndicate in Johor
Malaysian police dismantled a Bitcoin mining syndicate in Johor after four raids on July 22 and 23. The operation, codenamed Ops Letrik, resulted in the arrest of three local men and the seizure of 71 cryptocurrency mining rigs.
The bust exposed the persistent economics of illegal mining in Johor: electricity theft converts what would be an unprofitable operation into a high-margin one, with TNB absorbing the cost. The syndicate's method was direct tapping: bypassing legitimate TNB meters with hardwired connections allowing their Bitcoin mining operations to run without paying bills.
The estimated monthly profit of the syndicate is between RM80,000 and RM100,000 (~$25,000), while the suspects are believed to have been paid around RM5,000 a month. The police chief said initial investigations found the syndicate was capable of generating profits of between RM80,000 and RM100,000 per month.
The case is being investigated under two statutes: Section 427 of the Penal Code for criminal mischief and Section 37(1) of the Electricity Supply Act 1990 for interfering with electrical installations. Between January 2025 and June 2026, the Johor Contingent Police raided 16 premises linked to illegal cryptocurrency mining, seizing 158 machines in total.