A wireman in Batu Pahat has been fined RM30,000 by the Sessions Court for illegally bypassing an electricity meter to facilitate a bitcoin mining operation. The court”s ruling was delivered today, with Lim Khim Wen, 37, pleading guilty to the charges against him.
Judge Osman Affendi Mohd Shalleh imposed the fine and indicated that Lim would face 12 months in prison if he fails to make the payment. The charges stemmed from an incident that occurred at a residence in Jalan Putera Indah 2/4B, Taman Putera Indah, at 11 PM on August 24 of the previous year.
Lim was found guilty of dishonestly preventing a meter belonging to Tenaga Nasional Bhd (TNB) from accurately recording electricity usage. This was accomplished through illegal connections made directly from the TNB service cable to the house, bypassing the meter entirely.
The case unfolded when police and TNB enforcement officials acted on received information, leading to Lim”s arrest at the premises. Upon investigation, authorities discovered four insulation piercing connectors and four wire strips, which were utilized to execute the illegal electricity connection.
It was determined that this unauthorized connection was employed to power bitcoin mining equipment, resulting in an estimated loss of RM15,392 to TNB over the span of one month. Several items related to the mining operation were seized during the enforcement raid.
During the court proceedings, Judge Osman Affendi raised concerns regarding the length of time Lim had engaged in these activities, emphasizing the serious nature of the offence and the necessity for appropriate legal consequences.
The prosecution was represented by Deputy Public Prosecutor Sharifah Natasha Syed Ahmad, while Lim appeared without legal representation. This case serves as a significant reminder of the legal implications surrounding unauthorized electricity use, particularly in the context of cryptocurrency operations.
