An idiot’s guide to smuggling iPhones into China

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Customs officials in China caught this man trying to smuggle 94 iPhones into the country. Photo: Sina News
Customs officials in China caught this man trying to smuggle 94 iPhones into the country. Photo: Sina News

You don’t need a smartphone app to tell you that taping dozens of iPhones to your body might set off alarms.

So it’s hard to know what a Hong Kong man was thinking when he tried to walk through a metal detector at Fultan Port in China with 94 iPhones taped to his chest, stomach and legs.

Actually, customs officials were suspicious before he got to the metal detector. After a check of two plastic shopping bags he was carrying, officers directed him towards and metal detector and noticed his “weird walking posture, joint stiffness (and) muscle tension.”

Pictures published on the Chinese news site Sina show the man in custody with his sweatshirt up and trousers dropped to reveal the source of the awkward posture and muscle tension. The report does not mention the man’s potential punishment but indicated this is common practice for phone smugglers.

A Hong Kong man was seen walking awkwardly at Fultan Port in China. After setting off alarms, customs officials found 94 iPhones taped to his body. Photo: Sina News
A Hong Kong man was seen walking awkwardly at Fultan Port in China. After setting off alarms, customs officials found 94 iPhones taped to his body. Photo: Sina News

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