Thai authorities conducted a raid on an illicit bitcoin mining operation located west of Bangkok, following complaints from local residents about persistent power outages for over a month, as announced by local authorities on Sunday.
On Friday, police and representatives from the Provincial Electricity Authorities (PEA) executed the raid on a residence in Ratchaburi town. "We discovered bitcoin mining equipment, indicating that this house was being used for mining activities and that the occupants were not fully compensating for the electricity consumed," stated Jamnong Chanwong, a chief district security officer. He noted that although the electricity usage was substantial, the payments made were minimal. The process of mining cryptocurrencies like bitcoin necessitates high-powered computers that consume vast amounts of electricity. In Thailand, bitcoin miners are classified as manufacturers and are subject to relevant taxes, yet illegal mining operations have been increasing over the years.
Jamnong revealed that his team attempted to access the house on Thursday but were denied entry by a guard. They returned with a search warrant and found that most of the equipment had been relocated. He mentioned that the house had been leased by a company for approximately four months, and the power outages started in mid-July, coinciding with the likely full operation of the mining activity. No arrests were made during the raid.
This marks the fourth instance this year where authorities have targeted an illegal bitcoin mining operation in Ratchaburi province.
