Thai Officials Bust Illegal Bitcoin Mine Linked to Power Outages

Thailand’s police and electricity authorities announced on Sunday that they had raided an illegal bitcoin mining operation in a local town. The raid followed several weeks of frequent power outages in the surrounding area.

According to the South China Morning Post, the raid occurred in Ratchaburi, a province in central Thailand, west of Bangkok. Officials from the Provincial Electricity Authorities and local police were involved in the operation.

Jamnong Chanwong, the district’s chief security officer, led the crew. He explained that the power issues began around mid-July, likely coinciding with when the mine became fully operational. Thai authorities noted that the electricity costs of Bitcoin mining operations were significantly lower than those of power consumed. However, no arrests were made at the site.

Thai Authorities Seize 650 Crypto Mining Devices

Southeast Asia has become an attractive region for bitcoin miners, drawn by the availability of low-cost electricity, skilled labor, and established infrastructure, especially after China prohibited all crypto mining activities in 2021.

A report by the Bangkok Post, dated April 29, detailed another raid where Cyber Crime Investigations Bureau officers and Provincial Electricity Authority officials targeted two separate crypto-mining operations. These operations were flagged due to their unusually high electricity usage.

During the raid, Thai authorities seized 650 crypto mining devices valued at over 200 million baht ($5 million) from a temple in Ban Phaeo, Samut Sakhon, and a warehouse in Ratchaburi, along with computers, tablets, and 465 mobile phones. The raids also uncovered illegal electricity connections responsible for an estimated 5 million baht ($135,000) in unpaid power. Three suspects who admitted to importing the mining rigs from China and selling them locally were arrested.

Seven Arrested for Bitcoin Power Theft in Malaysia

In other news, Malaysian authorities recently destroyed 985 bitcoin mining machines valued at approximately 1.98 million Malaysian ringgits ($452,500) as part of an ongoing crackdown on power theft linked to bitcoin mining.

Earlier this month, police in Malaysia’s Sepang district arrested seven people suspected of operating Bitcoin mining setups using stolen electricity. During the operation, officers confiscated 52 bitcoin mining rigs and other electronic devices, with a combined estimated value of 250,000 Malaysian ringgits ($57,000).