Zip Lines Aid In Illegal iPad Smuggling Into China
August 9, 2011
Recently, Chinese police arrested six individuals while they were attempting to smuggle over $45,000 in iPhones and iPads from Hong Kong into China using zip lines and crossbows.
Due to differing tax laws, an iPad 2 sells for $572 in China and $499 in Hong Kong. With only the Sha Tau Kok River separating the two, there is a profit to be made by selling the iPad for a price in-between the two.
The smugglers worked under the darkness of night and used a crossbow to shoot a cable across the river from a high-rise in China to a home in Hong Kong. Once the cables were secured, a pulley system was rigged up and the Apple goods were placed in black and camouflage bags. These bags were then sent across the river on a 2-minute journey to the other side.
During surveillance by Chinese police, they discovered the elaborate smuggling setup and confiscated the goods.
Smuggling Apple goods into China is not a new thing. Unauthorized dealers have used students who attend school in Hong Kong to smuggle the products over the border.
Below is a video, which shows the area and system the smugglers tried to use.
