Thailand's Department of Special Investigation (DSI) says it has seized around 1,900 digital-currency mining machines from two alleged illegal Bitcoin mining sites in Samut Sakhon, believed to be linked to Chinese organised crime figures, with suspected stolen electricity losses estimated at 280 million baht.
The raids, named Operation SILENT VOLT, took place on 21 July 2026 at seven locations in Samut Sakhon and neighbouring Nakhon Pathom. The DSI announced the operation on 23 July, saying it acted jointly with the Provincial Electricity Authority (PEA).
The case forms part of a wider crackdown on unauthorised cryptocurrency mining ordered under Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul and Justice Minister Pol Lt Gen Rutthapol Naowarat, the DSI said. It added that previous investigations had led to action against several people, including state officials and private individuals, with some cases linked to transnational criminal networks.
Two warehouses allegedly bypassed electricity meters
The investigation began after PEA Region 3 in Nakhon Pathom reported unusual electricity-use patterns at several warehouses. The DSI's Technology and Information Crime Bureau subsequently identified two factory-style warehouses in Samut Sakhon allegedly used for cryptocurrency mining for more than a year.
Officials said the operations had been connected directly to the 22-kilovolt high-voltage distribution system at the high-voltage transformer bushings, bypassing PEA meters.
At the first warehouse, in Khok Krabue subdistrict of Mueang Samut Sakhon district, authorities found a transformer of 2,500 kVA and an electricity load of 3.05 megawatts. About 900 mining machines were seized, with alleged illegal power use dating from September 2025.
The second warehouse, in Bang Nam Chuet subdistrict, had two transformers rated at 2,000 kVA and 1,500 kVA, with a load of 3.04 megawatts. Officers seized around 1,000 machines and said the suspected theft began in April 2026.
The equipment seized from both sites was valued at about 200 million baht, according to the DSI.
Homes and offices also searched
Five further searches were carried out at homes and offices linked to the alleged operators or investors in Mueang Samut Sakhon and Mueang Nakhon Pathom. Investigators said they found people connected to the network and seized documents and other evidence for further inquiries.
The DSI said a legitimate Bitcoin-mining operation using about 2,000 machines would face electricity bills of roughly 22 million baht a month. In this case, the sites allegedly paid only 10,000 to 25,000 baht monthly.
For foreigners considering crypto-related business in Thailand, the case underlines that digital-asset mining itself is not the allegation at issue: the authorities say the criminal conduct was the bypassing of electricity meters and other possible regulatory breaches. The DSI said the suspected theft could affect the stability and security of Thailand's electricity system, as well as deprive the state of revenue.
Investigators are preparing allegations including theft and night-time theft committed by two or more people. They are also considering whether the operation may qualify as a predicate offence under anti-money-laundering law, and may coordinate with the Anti-Money Laundering Office.
Potential building-modification, environmental and public-health offences are also under review, the DSI said.
Picture courtesy of Daily News
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24 July 2026
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