{"id":58947,"title":"Global crackdown targets illegal crypto mining and electricity theft","publisher":"Stockmark.IT","author":"Stockmark.IT Website","published":"2026-09-13T07:22:31+00:00","modified":"2026-09-13T07:24:16+00:00","canonical_url":"https://stockmark.it/stolen-electricity-is-powering-illegal-crypto-farms-across-the-globe/","markdown_url":"https://stockmark.it/stolen-electricity-is-powering-illegal-crypto-farms-across-the-globe.md","json_url":"https://stockmark.it/stolen-electricity-is-powering-illegal-crypto-farms-across-the-globe.json","category":"Energy","categories":["Energy","Financial","Mining"],"featured_image":"https://i0.wp.com/stockmark.it/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/global-crackdown-targets-illegal-crypto-mining-and-2.png?fit=1536%2C1024&quality=80&ssl=1","format":"news","language":"en-GB","content":"Authorities across multiple jurisdictions are intensifying efforts to combat the theft of electricity used to power illicit cryptocurrency mining operations. Recent enforcement actions in Mexico have highlighted the scale of the issue, with officials uncovering clandestine mining sites that siphon power from federal infrastructure. These operations, which often operate in remote locations to avoid detection, represent a significant financial burden on national grids and pose broader risks to energy security and public safety.\n\nIn a recent operation in rural Puebla, Mexican authorities dismantled a hidden facility where 300 computers were used to mine cryptocurrency around the clock. The site was drawing power from a federal hydroelectric complex, specifically the Nuevo Necaxa dam. Francisco Sánchez, head of Puebla’s Public Security Secretariat, noted that the high energy consumption and noise generated by the equipment typically lead operators to seek isolated areas. He stated that reports of such activity near the dam, combined with evidence of a very large power connection, alerted officials to the presence of the illegal venture. Police indicated that this bust is part of a wider pattern of similar illegal operations in Puebla and neighbouring states.\n\nThe financial impact of electricity theft in Mexico is substantial. Data from the Federal Electricity Commission covering the period from January to July 2024 recorded losses of 6,346 gigawatt hours due to theft, meter tampering, and illegal connections. This equates to approximately 13.8 billion pesos, or roughly 817 million US dollars. Officials suggest that the figures for 2025 and 2026 are likely to be considerably higher. The CFE is currently leading a nationwide crackdown on these activities, which have become an increasingly grave issue for the utility sector.\n\nThe problem is not confined to developing nations. While grid infrastructure limitations and lower oversight capacities in poorer countries make them particularly vulnerable, developed nations such as the United Kingdom also face instances of electricity theft. However, the issue appears particularly acute in Southeast Asia. In Malaysia, authorities have launched their own campaign against illegal Bitcoin mining. Between 2020 and 2025, the state-owned energy company Tenaga Nasional reported that approximately 1.1 billion US dollars worth of electricity was stolen. During this period, Malaysian police recorded 14,000 illicit mining sites across the country. Akmal Nasrullah Mohd Nasir, the deputy minister of energy transition and water transformation, warned that the risk extends beyond financial loss, stating that such activities can damage facilities and challenge the stability of the national energy system.\n\nInvestigations have also revealed that cryptocurrency mining schemes are increasingly intertwined with organised crime. Reports indicate links between illegal mining, online gambling, money laundering, and industrial-scale cyber scam networks in Southeast Asia. In Cambodia, crypto activities have been associated with forced labour operations. In Kyrgyzstan, which is sometimes referred to as Cryptostan due to the high number of mines exploiting subsidised energy rates, police have reported that virtual assets are being integrated into criminal infrastructure, including cyber fraud, embezzlement, and the concealment of illicit funds. In Mexico, speculation has linked Bitcoin to a multiple homicide involving a rock star and his family, underscoring the violent potential of these illicit networks.\n\nDespite these enforcement efforts, many operations continue to evade detection. This is particularly true in poorer countries that lack the resources to monitor their grids effectively and can least afford the resulting losses. The global nature of the problem suggests that coordinated international efforts may be necessary to address the intersection of energy theft, cryptocurrency, and organised crime."}