The authorities in Libya have detained 50 Chinese nationals following a raid on an illegal cryptocurrency operation.

Photos published by the Tripoli prosecutor show large, windowless rooms crammed with hardware and computers in the city of Zliten.

On Wednesday, 10 other Chinese people were taken into custody for crypto-mining in the port city of Misrata.

Libya banned the manufacturing of virtual currency in 2021.

It's thought miners are attracted to the country in part because of low energy costs.