Hong Kong arrests two over crypto‑mining power theft

Police say two technicians hid eight mining rigs in the ceilings of two care‑home offices, tapping power and internet 24/7. Bills jumped HK$8,000–9,000; both men were arrested on suspicion of “abstracting electricity.”

Hong Kong police arrested two technicians, aged 32 and 33, on suspicion of siphoning power and bandwidth from two care homes to run a crypto‑mining setup. According to statements cited by the South China Morning Post, the pair allegedly installed eight miners above suspended ceilings and ran them around the clock, inflating monthly electricity charges by HK$8,000–9,000.

The case surfaced after one institution reported unusually slow internet and unexplained spikes in its bill. An internal check uncovered unauthorized hardware in an office ceiling in Sham Shui Po; a second site in Kwun Tong (Sau Mau Ping area) was later found with a similar installation. In total, police say five devices were removed from the first location and three from the second.

Investigators believe the suspects exploited facility upgrades in August to connect the mining machines to the premises’ power and networks. Officers arrested the men in Mong Kok and Sham Shui Po on suspicion of abstracting electricity – an offense under Hong Kong’s Theft Ordinance that can carry up to five years’ imprisonment upon conviction. The institutions were not named. The inquiry is ongoing.

Police urged organizations to monitor contractors during renovation or equipment installs, to scrutinize bills and network usage, and to report irregularities.

Cryptocurrency mining relies on energy‑intensive computing. Unauthorized hookups have periodically surfaced globally as operators try to cut costs; in tightly managed environments like care facilities, even small clusters of rigs can noticeably strain power and network resources.