Malaysian authorities crush 1,069 crypto mining rigs with a steamroller | Engadget

How do authorities dispose of confiscated cryptocurrency mining rigs? In a city in Sarawak, Malaysia, authorities got rid of 1,069 rigs at once by crushing them with a steamroller, Vice reports. According to Malaysian publication Dayak Daily, the PCs were confiscated over six raids conducted between February and April this year. Sarawak Energy Berhad, the electric utility company of the Malaysian province, is accusing the mining operators of stealing electricity for their activities. The operators allegedly stole RM8.4 million worth of energy, or around US$2 million, from the company. 

People who want to seriously mine cryptocurrency like Bitcoin and Ethereum use PCs built for that purpose, and the process usually consumes a huge amount of electricity. That’s why it’s no surprise that energy theft is commonly reported in places where miners operate. In Ukraine, for instance, the country’s Security Service raided a mining operation that used PS4 Pros as their machines, and the operators were also accused of stealing electricity from the country’s power grid. The Malaysian city’s police chief Hakemal Hawari told Dayak Daily that energy theft for mining operations has been so rampant this year, three houses burned down as a result of illegal electric connections.

You can watch the steamroller crush the mining rigs in the video below. If you’re wondering, that’s RM5.3 million (US$1.26 million) worth of hardware being haphazardly smashed by a gigantic machine.