High-wire act used to smuggle handsets into Shenzhen

A crime ring that smuggled bags of smartphones from Hong Kong to the Chinese mainland via fixed wires and high-tech drones was uncovered and its ringleaders detained after a joint operation between Hong Kong and Shenzhen law enforcement officers.

The 26-strong cross-border smuggling ring was found to be shuttling handsets worth some 500 million yuan ($80 million), mostly refurbished iPhones.

According to the Shenzhen Customs, the suspects would temporarily attach wires to two rented rooms on the 25th floor of a residential building in Luohu district, Shenzhen, and to a home on a vacant plot in Lin Ma Hang village on the Hong Kong side.

The suspects would retract the wires at night to avoid suspicion.

A total of 20 smartphones would be placed inside a small canvas bag and then shipped high above street level from Hong Kong during each shipment.

About 10,000 to 15,000 smartphones could be smuggled in one day using this delivery method. For each successfully smuggled smartphone, at least 20 to 30 yuan could be earned. Revenues could be as high as 100 yuan for new phones. It was estimated that smugglers could make over 10 million yuan each a month.

Shenzhen Customs officers confiscated 4,000 smartphones and tools used to smuggle them at the two rented rooms in Shenzhen. Hong Kong customs detained three people connected to the activity, and confiscated 900 smartphones and associated tools.