Illegal crypto mining steals electricity across Southeast Asia
Law enforcement and utilities across Southeast Asia have uncovered widespread illegal cryptocurrency mining that bypasses meters, strains grids and links to organized crime. Malaysian raids in Johor seized 71 machines and estimated about €14,500 in losses over a month, while national utility TNB flagged almost 14,000 theft-linked premises and about €1.1 billion cumulative losses from 2020 to 2025. Thailand and Indonesia reported large seizures and multimillion-euro losses, and Laos ended power sales to miners after a state-backed experiment consumed about 500 megawatts at its peak. Governments are responding with raids, smart meters, licensing and multi-agency efforts, but enforcement challenges persist.
Malaysia recorded about €1.1 billion electricity losses from illegal mining
Context
Police raids and utility audits found meter tampering and large machine seizures. Authorities in several countries then increased monitoring and legal measures. They may expand transformer-level monitoring and licensing to reduce theft.
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