3 Beijing Men Tunnel Into Warehouse, Steal $225k In iPhones

Thieves who are desperate to get ahold of Apple merchandise via less than legal methods often resort to breaking into retail stores and making off with whatever is on the display tables. But these three men in Beijing, China were a bit more creative, not to mention had their minds set on a bigger score. Local police say the suspects they arrested dug a 20-inch hole through the wall of a logistics firm's warehouse in order to steal 240 iPhone 6s.

The three had already unloaded the Apple devices for cash before being caught, and used the money to buy cars, gold jewelry, and gamble. The Xinhua news agency reports that one of the three men previously worked as a driver for the company that owned the building. Police said they found the thieves through the stolen phone's serial numbers, but didn't explain the exact process they used.

Earlier this month in a separate incident, a young man was caught by border guards trying to smuggle 94 iPhones from Hong Kong into mainland China. He was noticed walking in a "weird posture," and then found to have all the phones tapped to his body under his clothes.

The iPhone 6 has already been officially available in China for some time now, but high demand has kept supply levels low, leading to relatively long wait times. In addition, Chinese prices for the Apple smartphones are usually higher than in other countries because of the government's luxury tax imposed on foreign products. Combine this with high buyer demand, and anyone who manages to get hands on iPhones knows there's a lot of money to be made in selling them. More so when the devices have been acquired by less than legal means.

VIA Apple Insider

SOURCE Xinhua