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A Smuggler Was Caught With 102 iPhones Strapped to Her Body

By
Don Reisinger
Don Reisinger
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By
Don Reisinger
Don Reisinger
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July 19, 2017, 10:03 AM ET

Chinese customs officials earlier this month caught a woman trying to smuggle more than 100 iPhones into the country.

According to local media outlets, the officials discovered the woman had 102 iPhones strapped to her body after determining she was wearing “more clothing than was appropriate.” According to the report, when the officials detained the woman, they discovered four layers of iPhones strapped to her torso and waist. She was also wearing 15 luxury watches.

According to Apple Insider, which earlier reported on the smuggling, the woman had more than 42 pounds of goods on her when she was discovered.

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Smuggling in China is nothing new, and customs officials have been trained to identify things that might be out of the norm. The Chinese government has considered smuggling such a problem that it’s launched initiatives to crack down on the practice.

It’s unclear why the woman wanted to smuggle iPhones and where they might have been heading. Apple’s iPhones are already for sale legitimately in the company’s retail stores.

Interestingly, the woman’s 102 iPhones wasn’t the most Chinese officials found on an alleged smuggler. According to a report from Kotaku, in 2015, a man was caught in China with 146 iPhones strapped to his body.

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