• Home
  • Latest
  • Fortune 500
  • Finance
  • Tech
  • Leadership
  • Lifestyle
  • Rankings
  • Multimedia
Apple

Apple crime report: 240 iPhones disappeared through 20-in. hole

By
Philip Elmer-DeWitt
Philip Elmer-DeWitt
Down Arrow Button Icon
By
Philip Elmer-DeWitt
Philip Elmer-DeWitt
Down Arrow Button Icon
January 18, 2015, 8:47 AM ET
Photograph by Chinanews.com

The Xinhua News Agency reported Thursday that three Chinese nationals were arrested last month in Beijing, suspected of tunneling into a warehouse and making off 240 iPhones valued at 1.4 million yuan (nearly $230,000).

Police said the three men broke into the facility between Dec. 12 and 13 via a 50-cm hole dug out of the wall. One suspect [surnamed withheld] used to work as a driver for the logistics company that owned the warehouse and was familiar with the site.

They later sold the gadgets and spent most of the money on cars, gold, and gambling.”

Police found the suspects by tracking the phones’ serial numbers. The men were arrested in late December. It’s not clear why we’re just hearing about it now.

Several sites — including AppleInsider and SlashGear — illustrated this story with one of the photos Hong Kong police released last week of a man caught with 94 iPhones strapped to his body. There is no connection between that case and this, except as illustrations of how eager some Chinese are to get their hands on the new iPhones, especially if they can be had at a discount.

Link: China nabs iPhone thieves who tunneled into warehouse

Follow Philip Elmer-DeWitt on Twitter at @philiped. Read his Apple AAPL coverage at fortune.com/ped or subscribe via his RSS feed.

Watch more of the latest news about Apple from Fortune’s video team:

About the Author
By Philip Elmer-DeWitt
See full bioRight Arrow Button Icon

Latest in

Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025

Most Popular

Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Fortune Secondary Logo
Rankings
  • 100 Best Companies
  • Fortune 500
  • Global 500
  • Fortune 500 Europe
  • Most Powerful Women
  • Future 50
  • World’s Most Admired Companies
  • See All Rankings
Sections
  • Finance
  • Fortune Crypto
  • Features
  • Leadership
  • Health
  • Commentary
  • Success
  • Retail
  • Mpw
  • Tech
  • Lifestyle
  • CEO Initiative
  • Asia
  • Politics
  • Conferences
  • Europe
  • Newsletters
  • Personal Finance
  • Environment
  • Magazine
  • Education
Customer Support
  • Frequently Asked Questions
  • Customer Service Portal
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms Of Use
  • Single Issues For Purchase
  • International Print
Commercial Services
  • Advertising
  • Fortune Brand Studio
  • Fortune Analytics
  • Fortune Conferences
  • Business Development
  • Group Subscriptions
About Us
  • About Us
  • Editorial Calendar
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Diversity And Inclusion
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map
Fortune Secondary Logo
  • About Us
  • Editorial Calendar
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Diversity And Inclusion
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map
  • Facebook icon
  • Twitter icon
  • LinkedIn icon
  • Instagram icon
  • Pinterest icon

Latest in

trump
PoliticsMiddle East
Trump’s ‘Art of the Deal’ can’t reopen the Strait of Hormuz—and it’s threatening a recession
By Nick LichtenbergMarch 16, 2026
1 hour ago
an ad for polymarket in a subway station
CryptoCryptocurrency
Betting on 5-minute swings on Bitcoin price are the hot new thing on prediction markets
By Carlos GarciaMarch 16, 2026
1 hour ago
Palantir co-founder Peter Thiel
InnovationPeter Thiel
Peter Thiel brings his Antichrist lectures to Rome — and Italian politicians are calling his ideas ‘scandalous’
By Tristan BoveMarch 16, 2026
1 hour ago
U.S. President Donald Trump listens during a press conference with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky following their meeting at Trump’s Mar-a-Lago club on December 28, 2025 in Palm Beach, Florida.
PoliticsIran
‘Blackmail is also not what I wish for’: America’s allies are ghosting Trump on Strait of Hormuz
By Eva RoytburgMarch 16, 2026
2 hours ago
peter thiel
Investingphilanthropy
Peter Thiel is actively convincing billionaires to abandon The Giving Pledge — and it’s working
By Jake AngeloMarch 16, 2026
2 hours ago
bofa
EconomyEconomics
Ray Dalio sees a pattern that shows China killing America’s economy. This 2,000-year chart explains why
By Nick LichtenbergMarch 16, 2026
3 hours ago

Most Popular

placeholder alt text
Workplace Culture
Gen Z is dating less. The result is one of the most unprepared workforces
By Jake AngeloMarch 15, 2026
1 day ago
placeholder alt text
Politics
After 93 years and a 25-hour filibuster, Washington finally has an income tax, and billionaires are already packing their bags
By Catherina GioinoMarch 15, 2026
1 day ago
placeholder alt text
Commentary
Ray Dalio: I've studied 500 years of history and fear we're entering the most dangerous phase of the 'Big Cycle'
By Ray DalioMarch 14, 2026
2 days ago
placeholder alt text
Economy
Trump's immigration crackdown is backfiring by hurting the U.S.-born workers it was meant to help, data shows
By Sasha RogelbergMarch 10, 2026
6 days ago
placeholder alt text
Success
This 18-year-old college student accidentally emailed thousands of classmates—it turned his pet-sitting business into a valuable side hustle
By Preston ForeMarch 15, 2026
1 day ago
placeholder alt text
AI
An OpenAI cofounder 'vibe coded' an analysis of the U.S. labor market's exposure to AI, and the highest-paying jobs have the worst scores
By Jason MaMarch 15, 2026
1 day ago

© 2026 Fortune Media IP Limited. All Rights Reserved. Use of this site constitutes acceptance of our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy | CA Notice at Collection and Privacy Notice | Do Not Sell/Share My Personal Information
FORTUNE is a trademark of Fortune Media IP Limited, registered in the U.S. and other countries. FORTUNE may receive compensation for some links to products and services on this website. Offers may be subject to change without notice.