Sarawak Man Arrested for Massive Power Theft

Police in Malaysia’s Sarawak state detained a local man accused of large-scale electricity theft for underground crypto mining. Preliminary intel suggests the suspect caused losses of 3 mln ringgit by illegally tapping into power lines. Over the past six months, officials discovered five similar operations, pushing total damages close to 15 mln ringgit.

Inspections revealed over 200 ASICs capable of producing around 8.5 GH/s in combined hash power. The regional energy firm warns that such setups pose not only financial harm but also fire hazards. Up to 10 network breakdowns are reported annually in areas where illegal mining overburdens the grid.

The suspect faces fines and a potential prison sentence of up to five years under local legislation. Authorities emphasize they will continue joint raids with power companies and may intensify penalties against such violations.