iPhone Theft By Fake US Marshal, High-Rise Cable Smugglers In China

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Apple iPhones and iPads are among the most desirable gadgets across the globe, and thus, are constantly on the radar of thieves and burglars. In this article, we will give you a roundup of recent crime incidents related to Apple devices.

Recently, a Florida man allegedly stole an iPhone X from a Best Buy store. The man was identified and caught when he went back to the same store and claimed to be a U.S. marshal. According to NBC Miami, cameras had caught the feed of a man shoplifting the iPhone X, and when he returned to the same store a few days later, he was confronted by the police. The man was carrying both a gun and a U.S. marshal’s badge.

The gun turned out to be a BB gun and the badge was fake, the man admitted. Later, the stolen iPhone X was found in his car along with a second fake marshal’s badge. The accused has been charged with retail grand theft and for impersonating a law enforcement officer.

In another iPhone theft incident, two men in Thailand were found guilty and given the death sentence for murdering a 26-year-old man for his iPhone. However, the death sentence has now been reduced to life imprisonment. According to Bangkok Post, the victim’s mother stated that she has recovered from the grief and does not hold any more grudges against the two who murdered her son. She also wants the authorities to take good care of the two inmates so that they can come out as better persons and not repeat the crime.

Both of the accused were awarded the death sentence last year because the Criminal Court believed that they had no option but to confess since their brutal act was recorded on camera. The court also believed that there were very narrow chances of them being reformed as they have committed similar crimes in the past as well.

Another iPhone theft incident comes from China, where the smugglers gave a rather a hi-tech spin to their crime. The smugglers deployed drones and cables to smuggle $80 million worth of Apple hardware into China. According to the authorities, a group of 26 people linked two high-rise buildings with cables, which was used as a bridge to pass along thousands of Apple smartphones across the border between Hong Kong and Shenzhen.

These smugglers used drones to fly a couple of 200-meter cables, or 660-feet in length, between Hong Kong and the mainland city of Shenzhen, according to Legal Daily. As per the report, it’s the first case found in China that drones were used in cross-border smuggling crimes. Those involved in the scheme would work after midnight, and once the cables were tied at both ends, it took only a little time to transfer a small bag (filled with iPhones) across the border.

In another recent iPhone theft incident, an iPhone was snatched away from a man who had arranged a meeting with a potential buyer to sell him the iPhone, according to the Little Rock police. According to the police, a 36-year-old man stated that he used an app Letgo to arrange a meeting with someone to sell his iPhone. When the buyer was given the iPhone to test it, he refused to hand it back, according to the report. The robber reportedly threatened the man saying, “Touch me and I’ll shoot you.”

In a separate iPhone theft incident, a man and a woman in Laredo, Texas were arrested for stealing an iPhone while both of them were operating an ice cream van. According to the police, the theft was “a crime of opportunity,” reported a local news website, LMT online. In another incident, three men robbed an Apple Store in Kansas City in broad daylight. The whole act was recorded on camera and the police later released the video. According to KCTV, the crime was carried out in “a matter of seconds.”

In yet another incident, police in Greenville, Ala are on a hunt for a man who is accused of stealing 18 iPads from a local Walmart store. A WSFA report suggests that the theft took place early in the morning of March 13 and police have released photos of the suspect.

These incidents make it clear that some could go to any extent for getting their hands on an iPhone, even murdering someone. Though it’s a worry for iPhone owners, it hardly discourages any buyer to go for their favorite phone. There are plans for many new iPhone variants coming this year.

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