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- Malaysian Police seized Bitcoin mining equipment worth approximately $52,145, along with other items.
- An illegal operation has cost Malaysian energy provider RM36,000. This amounts to around 8342.
- Malaysia is said to have lost $722,000,000 (RM3.4 Billion) in illegal mining as criminals from around the world set up their shops.
Malaysian Police have raided yet another illegal immigration site Bitcoin Mining Operation, again in Hulu Terengganu & Marang Districts in the Northeast of the Country.
Local news outlets Malay MailThe raids at two different locations led to 45 Bitcoin Mining machines and other equipment worth approximately $52,145.
Terengganu police chief Datuk Mohd Khairi Khairuddin estimated that the electricity theft cost Tenaga Nasional—Malaysia’s only electricity company—around $8,342 (RM36,000) in monthly losses.
Mohd.Khairi, in a recent statement, said that the mining syndicates believed to be behind this illegal operation operated out of residential and commercial property using the local electricity grid.
Operation was conducted in conjunction with Tenaga Nasional Berhad (TNB), Special Engagement Against Losses unit (SEAL). No arrests were reported by the police chief during the operation itself. However, all the confiscated items were brought to the district headquarters of the police for further investigations.
Bitcoin mining in Malaysia is legal. The tampering of the electricity grid is punishable with up to 5 years imprisonment or a fine up to $11,500.
Southeast Asia is a hotbed of illegal Bitcoin mining
Illegal Bitcoin mines that drain energy off national grids have become a major problem in East Asia and Southeast Asia.
In a 2025 UNODC report, it was revealed that the international criminals operating in this region were attracted to Bitcoin Mining because they can circumvent the anti-money launderage laws. According to a report from the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) published in 2025, international criminal groups that operate in the area are more attracted by Bitcoin mining because it allows them a way around anti-money laundering legislation compared to other forms of traditional crime. Bloomberg A report published last year stated that China’s ban on Bitcoin mining by 2021 could have assisted in pushing this illegal activity to Southeast Asia.
Malaysia experienced real consequences from this trend in the past. A blast in Bandar Puncak Alam revealed nine illegal Bitcoin mines.
Akmal Mohd Nadir, deputy Minister of Energy and Water Transformation, said Malay Mail Illegal crypto mining will have cost Malaysia at least $722 millions (RM3.4 Billion) between 2018 and 2023 in terms of electricity.
Thailand’s neighbor has seen its share of crypto mining crackdowns. In one case, 1,000 machines were seized earlier this year for allegedly stealing $3 million.
