- Indonesian authorities have apprehended a group of individuals suspected of engaging in electricity theft.
- These individuals allegedly connected their mining farms to the state power grid.
- Stealing electricity is considered a criminal offense in Indonesia, carrying a potential prison sentence of up to five years.
A recent report by Coindesk reveals that Indonesian police have detained a group of miners who are believed to have illegally stolen electricity. According to local media, it is suspected that these miners connected their mining operations to the power grids of state-owned companies.
During search operations in Medan, North Sumatra, law enforcement authorities discovered 1,314 mining rigs and detained 26 individuals connected to the criminal activity. The initial estimate suggests that this electricity theft has caused approximately 14.4 billion Indonesian rupiah in damages (equivalent to around $100,000).
The authorities suspect that the stolen electricity amounts to around 10 million kWh, equivalent to the yearly electricity consumption of approximately 7,500 individuals in the country.
Under Indonesian law, electricity theft is considered a serious offense that can result in fines and imprisonment for up to five years.
Similar cases of electricity theft have been reported in neighboring Malaysia, despite being less common in Indonesia.
In another incident in September 2023, a man was apprehended for stealing electricity for cryptocurrency mining. Investigation revealed that he had connected his mining farm to the power grid of a local retail store.
According to data from Glassnode, Bitcoin miners have been reducing their reserves of the cryptocurrency since October 2023. Experts speculate that this trend may have a negative impact on the asset’s price.
In previous reports, we highlighted that electricity costs for miners in Kazakhstan will be decreased starting from January 1, 2024.