Malaysia Deploys Drones as Thailand Seizes 3,600 Rigs in Regional Bitcoin Mining Crackdown

Overview

• Malaysia’s cross-agency committee, staffed by the Finance Ministry, Bank Negara Malaysia and TNB, is coordinating raids that use thermal-imaging drones and handheld sensors to spot hidden rigs.
• Officials say roughly 14,000 illicit sites have been recorded over five years, with electricity theft causing about $1.1 billion in losses and a reported 300% rise in cases since 2018.
• Investigators describe miners’ concealment tactics—mobile setups, heat shields and noise masking—with Malaysia’s deputy energy minister attributing the activity to organized syndicates.
• Thai investigators raided seven sites this week, seizing about 3,642 rigs and $8.6 million in equipment in cases linked to Chinese-run scam networks operating from Myanmar.
• Bitcoin mining remains legal in Malaysia if power is obtained lawfully and taxes are paid, yet authorities say meter tampering and rapid relocations complicate enforcement as policymakers debate tougher curbs, including a possible ban.