Man busted for smuggling strapped 94 iPhones to his body

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Tuesday, January 13, 2015
Smuggles iPhones
A man was caught trying to smuggle 94 iPhones into mainland China from Hong Kong by strapping them to his body.
Shenzhen Huanggang Customs-KABC

BEIJING, China -- A Chinese man may have to borrow a cellphone to call his lawyer after customs officials confiscated 94 iPhones that were strapped to his body.

The man caught the attention of customs inspectors as he tried to enter a border crossing into mainland China from Hong Kong, CNN reports. He appeared to be traveling light but walked like someone carrying a heavy load.

Turns out he was.

When the metal detector went off, they searched him and found dozens of shrink-wrapped iPhones duct-taped to his chest, crotch and thighs.

iPhone 5s and 6s are extremely popular and expensive in China. The 94 phones strapped to his body were worth nearly $50,000.

In the past month, customs officials have caught 18 people trying to smuggle iPhones into China, reports CNN. Like the others who were caught, this man lost his iPhones but he still holds the smuggling record.