Police successfully caught fishermen who were attempting to smuggle 370
iPhone 6S phones, estimated to cost worth around two million yuan
(£228,000), hidden in buckets with fish placed on top, into China.
According to reports, this is the first time that smugglers have used
this method.
The police had decided stop the boat in waters close
to the city of Shenzhen after they noticed that it was travelling
suspiciously fast and noticed that there were a number of dead fish
onboard. Officials could tell that the men were particularly nervous and
took a more detailed look at the boat once it was stopped. When they
checked the buckets of fish, they found 370 iPhones hidden among some
fish carcasses.
Smuggling electrical goods from Hong Kong into mainland China is a
recurring problem. Electronic goods from Hong Kong are cheaper than they
are across the border, and many people are found trying to sneak a few
items in. The three smugglers confessed to the crime, saying that they
had just finished a fishing trip when they were approached by some
smugglers who offered them 1,000 yuan (£114) each to deliver the phones.
The case is now under investigation.