Malaysian Thieves Drill Through Wall to Steal 85 Crypto Machines
Authorities arrested five suspected in the theft of almost 100 bitcoin machines.
:format(jpg)/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/coindesk/C5UDCLHA3NBLTLFWAMKDZ2XN5Q.jpg)
Malaysian authorities have apprehended five men charged with stealing 85 bitcoin machines. The police captured the men in a police raid on Nov. 2.
The Sun Daily reports that four men and one woman rented a building in Seremban, Malaysia, adjacent to a warehouse storing the bitcoin machines. The five drilled through the concrete wall connecting the two buildings. All the suspects were friends without past criminal records, The Sun writes.
Worth $10,300 each, the machines were most likely bitcoin mining rigs, although local police did not specify.
“On Oct. 29, a shopkeeper lodged a police report following the missing of 85 bitcoin machines,” Seremban police chief Supt Mohd Said Ibrahim said in a press conference. “Subsequently, police conducted raids and arrested suspects, aged between 25 and 46 years.”
The raids occurred last Saturday night between midnight and 5:00 a.m. local time. Authorities confiscated a car, a four-wheeled vehicle and heavy equipment believed to be used for drilling through the concrete, the Sun added.
The suspects have yet to be sentenced.
Drill image via Shutterstock
DISCLOSURE
Please note that our privacy policy, terms of use, cookies, and do not sell my personal information has been updated.
The leader in news and information on cryptocurrency, digital assets and the future of money, CoinDesk is a media outlet that strives for the highest journalistic standards and abides by a strict set of editorial policies. CoinDesk is an independent operating subsidiary of Digital Currency Group, which invests in cryptocurrencies and blockchain startups. As part of their compensation, certain CoinDesk employees, including editorial employees, may receive exposure to DCG equity in the form of stock appreciation rights, which vest over a multi-year period. CoinDesk journalists are not allowed to purchase stock outright in DCG.
Learn more about Consensus 2024, CoinDesk’s longest-running and most influential event that brings together all sides of crypto, blockchain and Web3. Head to consensus.coindesk.com to register and buy your pass now.