Chinese officials have arrested more than two dozen individuals accused of using drones to smuggle smartphones from Hong Kong into Shenzhen. The phones were valued at more than $79 million, according to a state-owned publication, which says the smuggling involved refurbished iPhones. This is the first time China has
Chinese officials have arrested more than two dozen individuals accused of using drones to smuggle smartphones from Hong Kong into Shenzhen. The phones were valued at more than $79 million, according to a state-owned publication, which says the smuggling involved refurbished iPhones. This is the first time China has made arrests over alleged drone-based cross-border smuggling.
The information comes from state publication Legal Daily, which claims the smugglers used drones to run lines for transporting small bags containing about 10 iPhones each. Though details aren’t entirely clear, it seems the cables were run between two destinations, then connected to electric winches.
The small bags containing iPhones were attached to the cables, which transported them to the mainland, where they were collected. This process happened after midnight daily, according to the Chinese publication, which claims that as many as 15,000 iPhones could be smuggled per night. The publication explains how the system was set up:
The discovery was made as part of a joint operation between Shenzhen and Hong Kong customs. A total of six smuggling rings were dismantled and 26 individuals arrested. Officials were alerted to the smuggling from reports made in 2017 by individuals in the regions were it was happening. The reports prompted several months of coordination and evidence collecting by state customs, according to officials.
SOURCE: Reuters
