According to a Malay Mail report on Wednesday, an operation involving the local electricity company Tenaga Nasional Berhad (TNB) and Johor police led to the arrest of the suspects aged between 24 and 64.
According to Coindesk, the investigation found the gang had cost TNB 8.6 million Malaysian ringgits in lost revenue since it started mining activities in 2020.
The police seized 1,746 bitcoin (BTC) mining machines worth a claimed RM2.6 million ($64,000) across 21 premises.
Johor’s police chief, Datuk Ayob Khan Mydin Pitchay stated:
“The syndicate, which has been active since the beginning of last year, carried out its activities on the top floor of a shophouse to avoid detection by the authorities.”
He also added that police are still investigating the operation and trying to track down the mastermind of the group and other members who are still at large.
