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Police said they raided five shoplots around Bahau used for mining activities in the past four months, adding that this resulted in TNB losing RM216,487. Police also seized RM380,000 worth of mining machines in the raids.
Last month, FMT reported that TNB had recorded a shocking 300% increase in the tampering of meters for bitcoin mining over the last two years.
The utility giant had said from the 610 cases it detected in 2018, the number had shot up to 1,043 cases in 2019 and 2,465 cases in 2020.
In last night’s integrated raid, Jempol district police chief Hoo Chang Hock said a TNB Special Engagement Against Losses team, along with a squad from the state police headquarters seized 190 Bitcoin mining machines.
“The seizure was also the biggest in the district so far. TNB suffered losses of RM216,487 as a result of the illegal activities carried out for four months.
“No arrests have been made so far. All the seized items were brought to the Jempol district police headquarters for further action.
“Police are tracing the owners of the premises to assist in the investigation,” Bernama reported him as saying.
The case is being investigated under Section 379 of the Penal Code as well as the Electricity Supply Act 1990, he added.
Bitcoins are a form of digital currency awarded to computers that solve a series of complex mathematical problems, and the first network of computers, or “miners”, to solve the puzzle is rewarded with bitcoins and network transaction fees.
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