The Batu Gajah District Police raided three properties in the Tronoh area on Tuesday night, July 28, 2026, seizing 73 Bitcoin mining rigs along with supporting electrical equipment. Codenamed ‘Op Elektrik’ and launched at 9:02 p.m. local time, the operation resulted in the arrest of two local men aged 40 and 52. Both suspects are currently remanded for three days from Wednesday to Friday for further investigation.
Batu Gajah District Police Chief, Assistant Commissioner Md Noor Aehawan Mohammad, directly led the operation alongside personnel from the Criminal Investigation Department and the SEAL Team technical unit from Tenaga Nasional Berhad (TNB). Technical inspections by the state utility provider confirmed electricity theft in two vacant houses, while a third property was used to support the illicit network. All mining equipment was connected directly to the main supply lines, completely bypassing the buildings’ official electric meters.
Losses Reaching Hundreds of Millions of Dollars
Following the findings, the two suspects face multiple charges. Police are applying Section 427 of the Malaysian Penal Code for mischief involving electricity theft, alongside Section 37(1) of the Electricity Supply Act 1990, which penalizes tampering with electrical installations.
Underground Bitcoin mining has become an expensive issue for Malaysia’s power grid. Official reports from TNB reveal that losses from electricity theft for crypto mining exceeded 440 million ringgit, or roughly $101 million, throughout 2024. Looking further back, TNB estimates the country suffered approximately $755 million in losses from similar electricity theft schemes between 2018 and 2023.
Not Just a Financial Threat
The Tronoh raid adds to an ongoing series of police operations against illicit crypto miners across the country. In May 2026, law enforcement in Terengganu seized 45 Bitcoin mining rigs that siphoned power and caused TNB an estimated 36,000 ringgit in monthly losses. An even more hazardous case occurred last February in Kuala Lumpur, where an illegal mining setup was discovered only after overheating machines exploded and ignited a building fire.
Police urged the public to take an active role in breaking this cycle of losses. Local residents are encouraged to immediately report any suspicious activities indicating power cable theft or unlicensed crypto mining operations. As demonstrated by previous incidents, the danger posed by underground miners extends beyond inflated state utility losses to genuine public safety hazards caused by substandard electrical wiring.
Reported by crypto.news.
Disclaimer: This article is for informational and educational purposes only, not financial advice. Cryptocurrency assets are highly volatile and carry significant risk. Always do your own research (DYOR) and never invest more than you can afford to lose.
