KUCHING, April 23 ― Sarawak Energy with assistance from the police busted a cryptocurrency mining operation stealing electricity at an abandoned shop house, following multiple trips in the Jalan Poh Yew area in Sibu early this month.

In a release, the utility company said 17 high-grade mining machines were discovered, along with direct-tapping wires connected straight from the incoming main wiring.

"Due to the absence of circuit protection, these direct tapping cables also present risks of unsafe situations such as potential fires and damage to electrical appliances which could lead to the loss of lives,” it said.

It also said that due to the growing tendency to utilise abandoned buildings and residential houses to steal electricity for cryptocurrency mining operations, inspections will be intensified in these areas to detect potential power theft. ― The Borneo Post