Authorities in Thailand have raided an illegal Bitcoin mine in Ratchaburi, west of Bangkok.  According to reports, law enforcement raided the location following multiple complaints from local residents about frequent blackouts in the past month. A recent story from South China Morning Post (SCMP) explains that the raid was conducted by police officers and personnel from the Provincial Electricity Authorities (PEA). 

Speaking on the raid, Chief District Security Officer Jamnong Chanwong said:

“We found Bitcoin mining rigs, pointing to people using this house to operate a mine and using power they didn’t fully pay for.” 

Although cryptocurrencies and mining are legal in Thailand, the country’s laws do not recognize digital assets as legal tender. Entities interested in mining are considered manufacturers and must pay relevant taxes. Unfortunately, there is an increase in illegal mining in the country as cryptocurrencies gain popularity and their applications expand. Thai people interested in online gambling can check B2C TH for trusted internet casino options with heightened safety, large gaming libraries, and multiple deposit and withdrawal options.

The day before the raid, Jamnong and his team had tried to enter the house but were refused entry by a guard. The group then returned with a search warrant but found that the owners had moved most of the equipment. Speaking to journalists, Jamnong said electricity records show that the consumption at the house was very high. However, the occupants were only paying a fraction of it. 

Although the house was rented about four months before the raid, the power outages did not start until mid-July, when authorities believe the mining operation became fully operational. The recent exercise is the fourth time Thai authorities have raided an illegal Bitcoin mine in Ratchaburi this year.

Thai Authorities Tackle Crypto Fraud

As crypto popularity increases in Thailand, authorities are doubling down on fighting crypto crime. Recently, Thailand extradited a Malaysian businessman to China for allegedly operating a fraud syndicate. According to an official announcement from China’s Ministry of Public Security, Thai and Chinese authorities set up a task force called “Hunting Fox” for the capture and extradition. The announcement states that the culprit, known as “Zhang,” is the first suspect extradited from Thailand to China after the extradition treaty between both countries became active in 1999.

An SCMP publication identified the man as Zhang Yufa, also known as Tedy Teow Wooi Huat, the founder of MBI Group. The report notes that Zhang allegedly ran a pyramid scheme that defrauded several people, including several Chinese nationals, into buying a fake and unlicensed cryptocurrency from MBI. The scheme proved successful as over 10 million investors fell prey since 2012 with more than 100 billion yuan invested.

In October 2019, the MBI Group became known following a demonstration outside the Beijing embassy in Malaysia by nearly 100 Chinese nationals who claimed the company swindled them off their life savings.

Authorities in the Chinese city of Chongqing began investigating Zhang in late 2020, with Interpol’s China Bureau issuing a worldwide wanted notice for the founder months later. Thai police then arrested him in July 2022 after he fled Malaysia. Following the arrest, Chinese authorities formally requested the extradition, which a Thai court finalized in May.

The Malaysian government had also requested an extradition to Kuala Lumpur. However, the Chinese government submitted their request first.

A Ministry official described the extradition as proof of the Chinese government’s determination to safeguard citizens’ rights and interests. According to a translation of the Ministry release:

“The successful extradition of Zhang … was a major achievement in China-Thailand law enforcement and judicial cooperation, and was of milestone significance in consolidating and deepening the law enforcement judicial cooperation between the two countries.” 

Fighting Cross-Border Crime

Authorities in the region are now calling for increased cooperation to fight international crime. At a recent Lancang-Mekong Cooperation forum held in Chiang Mai, Thailand’s second-largest city, a top Chinese diplomat, Wang Yi, asked for law enforcement collaboration to combat cross-border crime, including telecoms fraud. According to Wang Yi, member countries, including China, Thailand, Laos, and Myanmar, have conducted multiple collaborative exercises and arrested over 50,000 suspects since last year.

In a statement from the six member states, including Vietnam and Cambodia, the Lancang-Mekong Cooperation expressed concern about the gravity and persistence of these cross-border crimes and called on its members to prioritize cooperation in combating drug trafficking, telecommunication, and gambling fraud.

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