Hong Kong Technicians Arrested for Illegally Mining Crypto Using Care Home Resources

Two Hong Kong technicians, aged 32 and 33, have been arrested for allegedly siphoning electricity and internet access from care homes for the disabled to power a hidden cryptocurrency mining operation. The men, who worked for an engineering company, installed eight mining machines in the suspended ceilings of two care home offices—five devices in Sham Shui Po and three in Kwun Tong—during facility upgrades in August.

The unauthorized operation caused electricity bills to spike by up to HK$9,000 (approximately $1,153) per facility and significantly slowed internet performance. The case came to light when one care home reported sluggish internet and elevated power consumption. During a routine check, the facility's IT team discovered the unauthorized equipment hidden above ceiling tiles.

Inspector Ng Tsz-wing of the Sham Shui Po police district’s technology and financial crime unit stated that the suspects connected the mining machines to the institutions’ network and power systems to mine cryptocurrency. Police believe the operation was an isolated incident and not part of a wider syndicate. The suspects were arrested on Friday in Mong Kok and Sham Shui Po.

Under Hong Kong’s Theft Ordinance, unauthorized use of electricity carries a maximum penalty of five years in prison. Authorities urged the public to remain vigilant during facility upgrades and monitor electricity bills and network usage for suspicious activity.

Francis Fong Po-kiu, honorary chairman of the Hong Kong Information Technology Federation, noted that the high cost of mining cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin due to intense power demands may drive some to break the law to save on electricity. The incident follows the recent sentencing of U.S.-based crypto influencer Charles O. Parks III ('CP3O') to over a year in prison for a $4.5 million cryptojacking scheme involving stolen cloud computing resources.