Thailand's Central Investigation Bureau (CIB) seized 63 illegal crypto-mining machines in a raid on Friday, marking a significant step in cracking down on illicit operations in the country.

The mining rigs, valued at approximately 2 million baht ($60,000), were discovered hidden in three abandoned houses in Pathum Thani province.

The raid followed complaints from locals about stolen electricity, with suspicions that it was being used for cryptocurrency mining.

Crypto mining requires substantial power, and the stolen electricity resulted in significant losses, with authorities estimating damages to the Metropolitan Electricity Authority at over 11 million baht ($327 million).

Along with the mining rigs, officials seized equipment including controllers, routers, and modified electricity meters. However, the operations were remotely controlled, so no arrests were made.

The illegal operation appears to have connections to a luxury house in Bangkok's Khan Na Yao district, where further investigations are underway.

Authorities are concerned not only about the financial losses but also the fire hazard posed by these high-power mining activities, which were carried out without any human supervision.

Illegal crypto mining has been a persistent issue in Thailand and Southeast Asia, with several large operations dismantled in recent months.

In previous raids, authorities seized nearly 1,000 mining rigs and shut down illegal farms in Surat Thani province, which had been stealing electricity worth hundreds of thousands of dollars.