GEORGE TOWN – Penang police seized another 211 bitcoin machines worth RM100,000 in a series of raids last night following the arrest of four men yesterday who were carrying out illegal bitcoin currency mining activities.
Northeast district police chief Soffian Santong said the arrest led to four raids and the seizure of 211 bitcoin machines.
“In a raid at a shophouse in Lintang Hajjah Rehmah here, we confiscated 78 bitcoin machines, computer sets, modem routers, and fans. At the premises in Jalan Jelutong, 48 bitcoin machines were seized along with various other items.
“In Sg Dua, police seized 38 bitcoin machines, and then at a raid at a shophouse in Lintang Sg Tiram, Bayan Lepas near here, we seized 47 bitcoin machines, including computer sets, modem routers, and fans,” he said in a statement here today.
Yesterday, police conducted three raids around Jelutong and arrested four men before confiscating 200 bitcoin machines worth RM80,000 at a shophouse.
Soffian said police were now actively looking for other members of the syndicate who are believed to be in hiding.
“The four men arrested, aged between 20 and 35, have been remanded for four days to facilitate investigations,” he said.
He said a Tenaga Nasional Berhad (TNB) team had also joined the raids as the suspects were believed to have made illegal connections to steal electricity for their operations.
TNB had lost about RM420,000 in revenue in two months due to this, Soffian added. – Bernama, June 12, 2021
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