Smuggler is caught trying to sneak 94 iPhones into China after strapping them to his body... and customs officers noticed his strange walk
A smuggler
tried to sneak 94 iPhones into China by strapping and concealing them
around his torso - but was foiled when customs officers noticed
his 'weird walking posture'.
Embarrassing pictures
show the man standing with his trousers down as officers reveal the
startling number of mobiles attached to his body.
He was seized at Futian Port, an immigration port of entry on the border between mainland China and Hong Kong.
Customs
officers grew suspicious after seeing a male passenger with 'weird
walking posture, joint stiffness and muscle tension', reports the Huffington Post.
Smuggling
under Hong Kong law, where this man was said to be caught, can warrant a
seven-year prison sentence and a fine as high as $2m (£171,000).
According to the report, so-called 'mobile armor' is a fairly common tactic for phone smugglers.
All of
Apple's iPhones are actually made in China under contract before being
shipped to countries around the world -but purchasing one in the country
can be a challenge.
Not long ago, the only way to do so was through the black market.
Recently,
deals can be agreed to with legitimate providers such as China Mobile
but supplies of the latest models are usually limited.
And contracts and handsets are expensive compared to the devices made by Chinese manufacturers.
According
to the FT, an unlocked 16GB iPhone 6 is around £577. At around 18 per
cent of the annual salary in China, it's a costly buy.
As a result, buying new or second-hand handsets outside China and smuggling them into the country can be a lucrative business.
Most of the devices in the pictures appear to be the iPhone 5S but there are also some iPhone 6 and 6 Plus models in view.
