Thai police seize nearly 1,000 Bitcoin mining machines amid energy theft allegations: reports

Thai authorities have seized 996 Bitcoin miners during a raid on a company based in the east of the country amid allegations of energy theft.

Mining and related devices were impounded following a raid of JIT Co.’s premises in the Phanat Nikhom district of Chon Buri on Wednesday, the Bangkok Post reported . The firm is registered to conduct digital asset trading activities, but suspicions arose over its power consumption patterns, Thai police Crime Suppression Division commander Pol Maj Gen Montree Theskhan said.

The raid was part of a joint operation between the CSD and the Provincial Electricity Authority after discovering the firm had allegedly tampered with its power meter to mine bitcoin while avoiding paying electricity costs associated with the operation, according to another local outlet, The Nation.

PEA officials estimated that the operation had illegally consumed electricity worth hundreds of millions of baht (millions of dollars), though the exact amount is yet to be determined.

One unidentified staff member admitted to police that electricity theft was carried out at night, while the power meter was used as normal during the day to avoid detection, The Nation reported.

The CSD is still investigating the individuals behind the operation, confirming it plans to seek court warrants for their arrest.

Bitcoin mining is a core part of the network’s proof-of-work consensus algorithm. Miners compete to solve complex cryptographic puzzles for each block, requiring substantial computational power to win the right to validate transactions and add them to the blockchain. In return, they earn block subsidy rewards and transaction fees, incentivizing operations. This process ensures that Bitcoin remains secure, decentralized and tamper-resistant.