SEREMBAN: Five commercial premises at a business area in Seremban 2, were raided by Tenaga Nasional Berhad (TNB) and Seremban City Council (MBS) on suspicion of stealing electricity to carry out Bitcoin cryptocurrency mining activities, causing TNB to lose up to 250,0000 per month.
MBS Legal and Enforcement director, Hanizam Ahmad said in the raid which started at 8.30am yesterday involving 30 TNB staff and 50 MBS enforcement officers and personnel, 203 Bitcoin machines worth RM8,000 to RM12,000 each were seized.
"We found that these premises have been involved in Bitcoin mining activities for the past three years, causing TNB to suffer RM30,000 to RM40,000 in losses per month for each premises due to electricity theft to carry out the (Bitcoin cryptocurrency mining) activities," he said.
Meanwhile, 12 premises including a two-storey terrace house around Seremban were subjected to power cut after they were found to be involved in online gambling, in an operation conducted by the Seremban district police headquarters and TNB.
Seremban police chief Assistant Commissioner Mohd Said Ibrahim said the operation, the result of intelligence and complaints from the public, found that the activity was carried out secretly for the past two to three months.
"Several actions had been taken before but they were still stubborn and carried out the activity. So we cut the electricity supply at the 12 premises under Section 21A (1) of the Common Gaming Houses Act 1966 to to eradicate it," he said.-- Bernama