Sarawak Energy uncovers power theft by cryptocurrency mining centre in Bintulu

The illegal connections and meter that were seized as evidence.

KUCHING: The operator of a cryptocurrency mining centre in Bintulu has been caught stealing electricity – the first such case in Bintulu involving cryptocurrency miners, according to Sarawak Energy.

In a statement today, the utilities company said that the data mining centre located on the second floor of a shophouse at Jalan Sibiyu was discovered to be directly tapping its electricity supply from the mains, bypassing the meter.

“The illegal connections were found hidden behind the meter board cut out, avoiding detection,” the statement said.

The offence was discovered recently in a joint operation led by the Electrical Inspectorate Unit (EIU) from the Ministry of Utilities, Sarawak Energy’s meter inspection team and the police.

The operation was triggered by public tip-offs and months of surveillance following detection of irregular electricity readings for the premises.

The premises raised suspicions when it…