Thailand’s law enforcement and electricity authorities have uncovered an illegal Bitcoin mining operation in Ratchaburi, a central province west of Bangkok. According to an AFP report, the joint task force put up a raid following weeks of frequent and unexplained power outages in the area that they believe to be directly linked to the unauthorized mine.
Authorities Unveil Root Cause of Power Outages
The authorities caught on to the illegal mining operation on Sunday after a coordinated effort between the Provincial Electricity Authority and local police. For weeks, Ratchaburi residents experienced power disruptions, causing growing frustration and concern. According to Jamnong Chanwong, the district’s chief security officer, these power issues started in mid-July. Interestingly, that time frame coincides with the period that the Bitcoin mine in question is believed to have started its full-scale operations.
On their interesting journey of discovery, authorities say that they noticed that mining operations consume large amounts of electricity that far exceeds what a typical household would use. On top of that, these miners only pay minimal fees that are not in any way commensurate to their level of energy consumption.
According to the authorities, it was this anomaly that was the first red flag that has now led them straight to the mining site being the source of the outages.
Although the illegal operation was shut down, no arrests were made during the raid.
As of publication, the authorities have not yet revealed the individuals behind the operation. However, they have vowed to continue their investigation, even as they seek to bring the culprits to book. This, they say, will help to prevent similar incidents in the future.
Rising Illegal Bitcoin Mining in Southeast Asia
It might be worth noting that this latest Bitcoin mine bust is one of many similar ones going on across Southeast Asia. So much that one could say that the region is gradually becoming a hotspot for illegal crypto mining.
As is well known, mining activities thrive in areas that offer cheap electricity, skilled labour, and robust infrastructure. Interestingly, countries in this region are packed with all of the factors mentioned above. So, the comfortable environment has led to a surge in illegal mining operations in many of them.
Nonetheless, crackdown efforts have also intensified. For instance, Malaysian authorities destroyed nearly 1,000 Bitcoin mining machines worth approximately $452,500 just last week. That is not to mention that the Malaysian police also arrested seven individuals earlier this month. That is, over allegations of running mining operations using stolen electricity earlier this month.
