GEORGE TOWN, Jan 22 — Police raided a shophouse used to carry out an illegal bitcoin mining operation and seized 100 bitcoin machines worth RM100,000 in Air Itam, here on Tuesday.
Northeast district police chief ACP Soffian Santong said in the 3.30 am raid at the three-storey shophouse, police nabbed two men, adding that two other men were arrested in the Air Itam area on the same day.
“The inspection found that there were 100 bitcoin machines along with some computer equipment, all worth RM100,000 in the shophouse and the initial investigation by the Tenaga Nasional Bhd (TNB) team found that there were illegal connections to steal electricity.
“The estimated loss by TNB is RM24,000 and the investigation also found that the premises have been used as an illegal bitcoin mining site since Jan 1,” he said in a statement today.
He said the four suspects aged 27 to 36 were remanded for further investigation.
The case was being investigated under Section 379 and Section 427 of the Penal Code, he added. — Bernama
