Smuggler taped-up with 68 iPhones didn't fool Chinese customs officials

A man attempted to smuggle 68 iPhones through a port in China by hiding them on his body, by taping all of the smartphones to parts of his body and hiding them under his clothes.

Discovered on July 31 by port authorities at Qingmao Port, China, the man had attempted to take the massive amount of iPhones through customs without declaring them, by slipping through the non-declaration channel.

However, eagle-eyed officials spotted some issues with the man and his apparel. While he was wearing a navy blue short-sleeve shirt, it seems the rest of the body was somewhat out of proportion.

The inspection uncovered 68 old iPhones that were wrapped and bundled with adhesive tape to the person's waist, abdomen, and lower legs, reports Cnbeta. In one photo, thin plastic wrap and packing tape are used to hold the iPhones in place on the inside and outside areas of the person's legs.

According to the story, the man has been dealt with according to import regulations.

While smuggling items by carrying them through customs isn't new or entirely uncommon, the excessive amount of goods being smuggled at a time and the method being used is unusual. Even so, this is far from the first time someone has attempted to shift so many iPhones by taping them to a person's body.

In 2017, a woman was arrested for smuggling 42 pounds of contraband within her clothes, including 102 iPhones and 15 high-end watches. Meanwhile in 2015, a man was arrested at the Hong Kong border trying to smuggle 94 iPhones into mainland China that were similarly attached to his body by tape and wrappings.

In each of the cases, border guards were alerted to the unusual walking posture of the phone mules.