POLICE in Johor have dismantled a cryptocurrency mining syndicate believed to have generated between RM80,000 and RM100,000 in profits within a month by illegally tapping electricity supplies to power bitcoin mining operations.
Three Malaysian men, aged between 26 and 46, were arrested during coordinated raids at four premises in Iskandar Puteri, Johor Bahru Utara and Kulai conducted on July 22 and 23, with officers also seizing 71 cryptocurrency mining machines.
Johor police chief Datuk Ab Rahaman Arsad said the operation, carried out by the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) in collaboration with Tenaga Nasional Berhad (TNB), uncovered an illegal mining network powered through stolen electricity.
“The raids, carried out by the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) in collaboration with Tenaga Nasional Berhad (TNB), successfully uncovered cryptocurrency (bitcoin) mining activities powered through the theft of TNB electricity,” he told a press conference at the Johor police headquarters on Friday.
Initial investigations showed the syndicate had been operating for only about a month from rented premises in Johor Bahru, Iskandar Puteri and Kulai.
“The suspects, who are from Selangor and Kuala Lumpur, were arrested on July 22 and July 23.
“Based on our initial investigation, the syndicate had been operating for about a month in Johor Bahru, Iskandar Puteri and Kulai,” he said.
Ab Rahaman said the syndicate bypassed legitimate TNB electricity meters by directly tapping into the power supply, causing estimated monthly losses of RM67,502.30 to the utility company.
He added that the operation generated cryptocurrency worth between RM80,000 and RM100,000 during its month-long activities.
Police identified one suspect as the manager overseeing all four premises, while the remaining two were technicians from Selangor responsible for installing and maintaining the cryptocurrency mining machines.
“The suspect arrested is the manager overseeing all four premises, while the other two suspects are technicians responsible for installing the mining machines who travelled from Selangor. All three suspects were paid about RM5,000 for their roles,” he said.
The four premises, comprising residential properties and a shop lot, had been rented under the names of third parties at monthly rates ranging from RM5,000 to RM6,000. The two vehicles seized during the raids were also registered under different individuals.
In addition to the 71 cryptocurrency mining machines, police confiscated two desktop computers, two laptops, five routers, six padlocks, two monitors, two keyboards, a computer mouse, three keys, a mobile phone and two vehicles.
Ab Rahaman said investigations were continuing to identify other premises linked to the syndicate and locate additional members believed to be involved in the operation.
The three suspects have been remanded until July 26 to assist investigations under Section 427 of the Penal Code and Section 37(1) of the Electricity Supply Act 1990.
Between January 2025 and June this year, Johor police uncovered 16 illegal cryptocurrency mining operations, seizing 158 mining machines in cases involving estimated electricity losses of nearly RM1 million to TNB. - July 24, 2026
