Bitcoin mining machine thefts: Nine arrested
> Stolen currency mining equipment worth RM1m
SERDANG: Police have arrested nine men in connection with multiple thefts of machines used for bitcoin mining worth more than RM1 million since last month.
Serdang district police chief ACP Megat Mohamad Aminuddin Megat Alias said the suspects in their 20’s and 40’s were detained during raids in Selangor, Kuala Lumpur and Kuching, Sarawak on Feb 23.
“Police received a total of five reports since Jan 17 about the computer equipment thefts. In a recent case, a businessman lodged a police report alleging his shop’s security alarm was disabled and his equipment for bitcoin mining stolen.
“From the five reports received, we found that a total of 153 mining machines and power supply units (PSU) were stolen from the victims,” he said at the Serdang district police headquarters yesterday.
Megat Mohamad Aminudin said police managed to recover 58 computer equipment used for bitcoin mining worth at least RM500,000, of which 28 were PSUs.
He said investigations also found that the suspects were selling and buying stolen bitcoin mining equipment via social media and online shopping websites, with each equipment set priced between RM16,000 and RM20,000.
Meanwhile, in an unrelated case, police have arrested eight Filipinos, including three women, for using pepper spray to rob RM7,000 from a man at a supermarket in Bandar Baru Puchong on Sunday.
Megat Mohamad Aminudin said the victim, in his 40s, had earlier made a cash withdrawal at a bank at about 12pm.
“Half an hour later when the victim was at the supermarket, one of the suspects from the group approached the victim and pretended to faint while another suspect tried to spray the victim.
“However, the suspect failed to hurt the victim who retaliated. The victim then gave chase and managed to apprehend one of the suspects.”