Malaysian authorities destroy over 1000 crypto mining rigs with a steamroller
Over 1,000 Bitcoin mining rigs have been confiscated and destroyed by the Malaysian Police. Interestingly, instead of employing an orthodox method to destroy the machines, the officers opted to run over the seized ASIC miners with a steamroller.
According to the Malaysian newspaper Dayak Daily, the mining rigs were seized over six raids conducted between February and April this year. The owners of the rigs were reportedly accused of electricity theft that caused a $2 million loss for Sarawak Energy, the electric utility company of the Sarawak province in Malaysia.
The impounded machines were destroyed this week by Malaysian authorities in the most remarkable fashion. Officials laid them all out in a parking lot at police headquarters and ran them over with a steamroller.
While the move appears to be very bizarre, it sends out a clear message to crypto miners operating illegally in the country. Eight people have already been arrested in relation to the crime, six of whom have been officially charged for electricity theft. They face fines of almost $2,000 and up to eight months in prison.
Similar raids have been carried out in Ukraine and Iran, where blackouts and electricity theft led to authorities clamping down on miners. Recall that the Iranian government placed a temporary ban on Bitcoin mining for similar energy usage concerns.
