Customs officials in Shenzhen South China Technology Center arrested a group of criminals using drones to smuggle 500 million yuan ($ 79,8 million) worth of smartphones from Hong Kong to Shenzhen, a local newspaper reported. official.
The authorities have arrested 26 suspects who used drones to carry two 200-meter cables between Hong Kong and the mainland to carry reconditioned iPhones of the total value of 500 million yuan.
"It is the first case in China that drones were used in cross-border smuggling crimes," the newspaper reported, citing a press conference held today by Shenzhen customs.
The traffickers usually operated after midnight and needed only a few seconds to carry small bags containing more than 10 iPhones using drones, according to the report cited by the customs. The band could get at least 15.000 phones across the border overnight, he said.
Regulating the use of drones has become an important task for China, the world's largest manufacturer of consumer drones.
China has issued stringent rules last year to address drone accidents that have been lost in aircraft trajectories, including requiring civilian drone owners to register boats under their real name.
The Shenzhen local newspaper said it would closely monitor new types of high-tech smuggling devices and improve its capabilities with technical equipment, including drones and high-resolution monitors, to detect criminal activity.