Indonesian Authorities Raid Ten Crypto Mining Facilities for Energy Theft
Indonesian authorities crack down on ten Bitcoin (BTC) mining sites for stealing energy from the national grid to power mining operations in the country.
According to reports from local media outlets, the government moved in on ten crypto mining sites whose operations saw them tap into the utility poles of the state-owned electricity company.
Authorities of the state-owned electricity company, PLN noted that wider coordination was key to uncover the mining operation deriving electricity from the national grip without approval. According to the report, the Bitcoin mines cost the state 1.4 billion Indonesian rupees approximately $100,000.
Apart from financial impacts on the state, the activities of illegal Bitcoin miners were also feared to impact environmental factors and the local community as some students requested the PLM and the regional police to investigate the activities of the mines.
“PLN then followed up on the information obtained and it turned out that the theft was true. Then, PLN officers from the Bukit Barisan Customer Service Implementation Unit (UP3) came to the location to take action. They received threats and resistance. For this reason, PLN is coordinating closely with the police, namely the North Sumatra Regional Police.”
The raid uncovered 1,300 BTC mining machines used for illegal operations with one machine billed to consume 1,800 watts. Inspector General Agung Effendi, the North Sumatra Police Chief noted that the incident has been going on for an estimated six months with 26 people arrested from the ten locations.
The PLN further assured all stakeholders to continue their collaborations with the police to prevent further electricity theft and protect the national grid.
In recent years, the high
