Argentine authorities catch massive illegal shipment of Apple devices

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"Don't buy from me, Argentina!" should be the message of iPhone smugglers. Photo: Evita, Buena Vista Pictures

An illegal shipment of gadgets worth almost $800,000, including 500 Apple products, has been seized by Argentine authorities.

The products were on their way to Argentina from the U.S., with the aim of avoiding the import restrictions the country puts on smartphones, tablets, and similar items. Inspectors discovered around 260 iPhones, 60 MacBooks, numerous iPads, and more as part of the raid.

Argentina itself doesn’t have an Apple Store, and the only Apple products in the country sell for huge markups — often three times the amount it would cost in the United States. For instance, an iPad Air could easily carry a price tag approaching $3,000.

The case is reminiscent of a similar one which occurred in China earlier this year, when a Hong Kong man was stopped by custom officials as he tried to walk through a metal detector with 94 concealed iPhones taped to his chest, stomach and legs. He was stopped due to observations about his “weird walking posture, joint stiffness (and) muscle tension.”

Although Apple can’t be happy about its products being smuggled around the world, the fact that the company’s devices will readily sell for such a premium in certain markets does at least confirm once again just how white-hot the Apple brand is right now!

Source: AFP

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