Malaysia Power Theft by Illegal Crypto Miners Rose 300% Since 2018

The number of electricity thefts uncovered in Malaysia soared by 300% between 2018 and end-2024, mainly due to the rise of illegal crypto mining, The Star reported on Monday.The cases were detected in joint operations that included electricity utility Tenaga Nasional Berhad (TNB), the country's largest, the Energy Commission and the police.“Joint operations and nationwide raids have successfully shut down illegal mining setups, contributing to an increase in detected cases from 610 in 2018 to 2,397 in 2024," the utility said in a statement to The Star.Crypto mining is the process of discovering new blocks, verifying transactions and adding them to the blockchain that underpins digital assets source: https://www.coindesk.com/policy/2025/05/12/malaysia-power-theft-by-illegal-crypto-miners-rose-300-since-2018