Indonesian Police Raids 10 Sites for Illegal Bitcoin Mining
Indonesian police raid 10 sites for illegal Bitcoin mining using stolen electricity, detaining 26 and saving millions in energy costs.
Indonesian authorities raided ten Bitcoin mining sites over Christmas for using stolen electricity. In Indonesia, crypto adoption is growing, but it's not known for mining. Stealing electricity is a serious crime here, carrying a penalty of up to five years in prison or hefty fines.
This is one of Indonesia's first major cases of electricity theft for crypto mining, unlike neighboring Malaysia, which has seen several arrests. During the raids in Medan, North Sumatra, 1,314 bitcoin mining rigs were found, and 26 people were detained.
The suspects allegedly stole electricity worth about 14.4 billion Indonesian rupees ($100,000) from state-owned company PLN over six months. This theft is equivalent to the yearly energy use of 7,500 people in Indonesia.
PLN officials plan to collaborate with authorities to tackle similar cases of electricity theft for Bitcoin mining.
