[ad_1]
SERDANG: Police recently raided three facilities suspected of conducting cryptocurrency mining activities using illegally connected electricity at Taman Puncak Jalil.
Serdang District Police Chief Razali Abu Samah said that four locals, three men and one woman, were arrested in a raid, carried out jointly with Tenaga Nasional Berhad (TNB), in Jalan PUJ 3/8 Taman Puncak Jalil el November 5 at 10.20 a.m. M..
He said TNB estimated that it incurred losses in the amount of RM90,000 per month due to operations at the three facilities where 240 crypto mining machines were seized.
“Investigations also found that the syndicate had been operating for two months and required a four-month period to generate one unit of Bitcoin cryptocurrency per machine, which means they can generate around RM17 million if they continue to operate for four months,” he said . a press conference here today.
He said the investigation also found that each of the facilities only recorded electricity bills of less than RM1,000 a month as a result of illegal wiring.
Razali said all of the suspects, aged between 29 and 54, and one of them with a criminal record related to theft and electrical damage, were detained under the 1959 Crime Prevention Act (POCA).
He said all of the suspects were detained for seven days from November 5 to 12 before being released on police bail.
The three male suspects will be indicted in Petaling Jaya Court tomorrow according to Section 37 (1) of the Electricity Supply Act 1990, while the female suspect, who is the wife of one of the male suspects , will not be charged.
“The investigation also found that the three two-story commercial houses were rented to three different owners; the owners of the premises were unaware that the tenants were committing illegal activities ”.
He also explained that the crypto mining machines were imported, costing between RM200 and RM500 each, while the three facilities operated 24 hours a day until their activities were discovered.
