Malaysian officials have seized 75,578 illegal cryptocurrency mining machines nationwide in 3,049 coordinated raids between January 2022 and May 2026, resulting in 629 arrests, Deputy Home Minister Datuk Seri Dr Shamsul Anuar said July 8 during parliamentary updates [1, 2, 3, 4].
The operations involve the Royal Malaysian Police working with electricity provider Tenaga Nasional Berhad (TNB), local authorities, and other agencies to crack down on unauthorized mining activities that often entail illegal electricity connections, meter tampering, and operating without licenses [1, 2, 5, 4]. Dr Shamsul Anuar stated that the Home Ministry is enhancing intelligence gathering and technology use to identify and target mining hotspots earlier. "This is essential to ensure we can respond faster and take more precise action," he said [1].
These illegal operations cause large-scale electricity theft, disrupting local communities and leading to financial losses for energy providers. TNB recovers losses under the Electricity Supply Act 1990, while police investigate offences under the same law [2, 4]. A notable hotspot has been Manjung, Perak, where from 2022 to 2025, 347 raids led to 93 arrests and the seizure of 6,913 mining machines. Investigations found no indication of local officials or police complicity in the illegal mining [2].
Although cryptocurrency ownership and trading are legal in Malaysia, it is not recognized as legal tender. The Securities Commission regulates digital assets, and Bank Negara oversees financial stability and anti-money laundering measures [1, 5].
Deputy Home Minister Shamsul Anuar emphasized, "However, the potential for profit cannot be used as an excuse to commit crimes, including stealing electricity through illegal connections" [4]. He also said cooperation with TNB, the Energy Commission, local authorities, and enforcement agencies will continue to be strengthened "particularly in terms of information sharing, operational implementation and coordinated action to ensure enforcement is faster and more effective" [4].
Proposals to amend or tighten the Electricity Supply Act come under the Ministry of Energy Transition and Water Transformation (PETRA), with the Home Ministry open to providing input and assistance to improve enforcement and legislation [2, 3, 4].
The next major progress update on enforcement efforts is expected as authorities continue to intensify raids and preventive monitoring in key mining hotspots nationwide.
