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Hong Kong law enforcement has taken two individuals into custody on suspicion of illicitly siphoning electricity from residences serving individuals with disabilities to fuel digital currency

mining

devices.

Investigators claim the pair, aged 32 and 33, exploited their positions during refurbishment projects to install eight specialized computers in the false ceilings of a couple of office locations. These machines ran continuously, contributing approximately $1,153 (HK$9,000) to each monthly power invoice.

Inspector Ng Tsz-wing, representing the tech and finance crime division of Sham Shui Po, noted that the situation surfaced after one of the care facilities experienced persistent slowdowns with its internet connection. In response, their IT department discovered unauthorized hardware hidden within the office’s ceiling, with similar setups later located in another center located in Sau Mau Ping.

The arrests of both suspects occurred the previous Friday, in Mong Kok and Sham Shui Po, respectively, on charges related to “abstracting electricity.” Based on the investigation so far, police believe the involved parties acted alone, without the support of a larger collective.

Ng has cautioned organizations to exercise vigilance over contracted workers during any renovations and to thoroughly examine utility bills for unexpected spikes. He indicated the possibility that hidden equipment could remain undetected for prolonged periods. In accordance with Hong Kong’s Theft Ordinance, unauthorized power usage is punishable by a maximum prison sentence of five years.

“Citizens should carefully check their utility payments or network usage and immediately report to the police if anything unusual occurs,” stated Ng,
according to
the
South China Morning Post.

According to Shanon Squires, Chief Mining Officer at Compass Mining, illegal cryptocurrency mining constitutes “power theft and presents a danger.” He expressed, “Such actions are contradictory to established principles shared by many Bitcoin supporters, including safeguarding property rights and avoiding harm to others. Unauthorized electricity usage is directly stealing someone’s property without authorization and forcing them to bear the associated financial responsibility.”

Squires has also noted that the mining devices displayed by Hong Kong law enforcement “do not seem to be Bitcoin miners.” He further commented that, “On a smaller scale, it’s conceivable that illegal mining might be more prevalent than generally estimated, especially when it comes to altcoin mining rather than Bitcoin, assuming it’s not a substantially larger operation.”

Cryptocurrency Mining and Energy Use

Cryptocurrency mining, which entails utilizing specialized computing equipment to solve intricate mathematical challenges in exchange for digital currency, is renowned for its high energy consumption.

Research conducted by Digiconomist
indicates
that Bitcoin mining alone produces an annual carbon output exceeding 105 million metric tons of CO2, which is equivalent to the combined emissions of Belgium. Its electricity demand parallels that of Thailand, and its utilization of freshwater mirrors that of Switzerland.

The incident in Hong Kong is not an isolated one. Earlier this year in Thailand, authorities
raided
three unoccupied properties located in Pathum Thani and recovered 63 mining machines illegally connected to utility poles.

Similarly, in West Yorkshire, UK, officials
unearthed
an activity in Bradford in which miners were benefiting from an illegal power supply.

In addition, within Central Asia, government figures have also
reported
widespread exploitation of utility grids. The attorney general of Tajikistan stated that illicit mining drained electricity valued at over US$3.5 million in the first half of 2025, while authorities in Kazakhstan discovered miners utilizing enough power to sustain a city with 70,000 residents.