Malaysian authorities crush 1,069 crypto mining rigs with steamroller

How do authorities dispose of confiscated cryptocurrency mining rigs? In a town in Sarawak, Malaysia, authorities got rid of 1,069 platforms all at once by crushing them with a steamroller, Vice reports. According to Malaysian publication Daily Dayak, the PCs were confiscated in six raids carried out between February and April of this year. Sarawak Energy Berhad, the Malaysian province’s power company, accuses mining operators of stealing electricity for their operations. The operators allegedly stole RM8.4 million of energy from the company, or approximately US $ 2 million.

People who are serious about mining cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin and Ethereum use purpose-built PCs, 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 example, the country’s security service raided a mining operation that used PS4 Pro as machines, and operators were also accused of stealing electricity from the country’s power grid. Malaysian Town Police Chief Hakemal Hawari said Daily Dayak that theft of energy for mining operations has been so rampant this year that three homes have been set on fire due to illegal electrical connections.

You can watch the steamroller crush the mining rigs in the video below. If you’re wondering, that’s RM 5.3 million (US $ 1.26 million) of material randomly destroyed by a gigantic machine.