Hong Kong Cracks Down on Electricity Theft for Cryptocurrency Mining Case, Suspects Could Face Up to 5 Years in Prison

BlockBeats News, September 9th. According to East Net, Hong Kong law enforcement recently arrested two local men for allegedly installing a "mining rig" at a disabled care home in Cheung Sha Wan to mine cryptocurrency. They also connected the rig to the home's network and power system to steal electricity, resulting in the home incurring additional costs of up to 9,000 Hong Kong dollars. The two individuals were charged with "electricity theft." After investigation, law enforcement found that the home incurred additional electricity charges of approximately 8,000 to 9,000 Hong Kong dollars during the month of August.

In this case, law enforcement noticed that some construction companies were installing devices to steal customers' network and electricity during their work. Therefore, they urge the public to pay attention during renovation or installation work conducted by such companies to prevent criminals from installing similar devices and causing losses. Citizens should also monitor their electricity bills or network usage for any unusual changes and report or investigate immediately. According to the Theft Ordinance, the maximum penalty for electricity theft is 5 years of imprisonment.