A child has been caught trying to smuggle dozens of iPhone Xs with a total worth of at least £43,000 from Macau into mainland China.
The nine-year-old Hong Kong boy had 14 Apple smartphones wrapped around his torso and another 26 hidden in his backpack, according to Chinese customs.
The terrified child admitted that his mother had demanded him to carry the iPhones and meet her at the other side of the border in Zhuhai, Guangdong Province.
According to the Gongbei District customs in Zhuhai, officers noticed a boy travelling alone from Macau on July 4 through the green channel.
They stopped the child, known by his surname Li, for a check.
Officers were shocked to find that Li was carrying 40 iPhone Xs – on his body as well as in his bag. The latest iPhone X model sells 9,605 yuan (£1087) each at the Apple stores in China.
After being caught by the officers, the boy was apparently terrified.
The crying child refused to reveal the location where he was due to meet his mother, fearing that his mother would go to jail. His mother had previously been detained for smuggling.
Customs officers later managed to get in contact with the boy’s mother, Ms Li, after calming and comforting the child.
Ms Li reported to Gongbei district customs office to assist her son to complete the cross-border checkout.
Gongbei Custom stated the mother was previously detained for smuggling mobile phones through Lowu border between Hong Kong and China in April.
It remains unsure if the mother would face any charges.
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