Malaysia establishes a joint task force to combat 14,000 illegal Bitcoin mining machines

The Malaysian authorities have established a joint task force to utilize high-tech drones and ground police to shut down nearly 14,000 illegal Bitcoin mining machines. The state-owned electricity company Tenaga Nasional (TNB) reported that these illegal miners have stolen $1.1 billion worth of electricity from the national grid since 2020.

Authorities are using drones to search for heat signatures, while ground police use sensors to detect illegal electricity usage. Deputy Minister of Energy Transition and Water Services Akmal Nasrullah Mohd Nasir stated that allowing such activities not only involves theft but also poses a challenge to the national grid system.