Malaysian authorities have discovered that Bitcoin miners have stolen nearly $1,1 billion worth of electricity from the national power grid since 2020.
According to the government, nearly 14,000 illegal cryptocurrency mining sites have been illegally supplied with electricity by state-owned Tenaga Nasional (TNB) over the past five years, placing significant strain on infrastructure and raising public safety concerns.
The scale and sophistication of unscrupulous miners have forced Malaysian authorities to resort to advanced detection methods. Law enforcement agencies now use drones equipped with thermal imaging cameras to detect abnormal heat signatures that indicate hidden mining farms, and portable sensors help monitor uneven power grid loads in residential and commercial areas.
However, miners are also getting creative – they install equipment in abandoned buildings, cover windows with heat shields, and even play looping recordings of natural sounds to mask the constant hum of the equipment.
It’s worth noting that cryptocurrency mining is legal in Malaysia, but electricity theft undermines the country’s energy stability. Therefore, authorities are prepared to seize illegally operating equipment and fine illegal miners.