Stolen And Locked IPhone Unloaded In China For Trade

JAKARTA - A user who tracked his stolen iPhone managed to uncover a global theft network showing that the locked status on the device did not prevent thieves from taking advantage. With the help of the Find My feature, the device was eventually tracked down to the Huaqiangbei district in Shenzhen, China just 30 minutes from the Foxconn assembly plant where many iPhones were created.

Sam Amrani, a resident of London, became a victim of theft after two men on electric bicycles seized his iPhone 15 Pro. He then tracked the device to a location in London, then to Hong Kong, until it finally arrived in Shenzhen. To be precise, the iPhone was tracked near the Feiyang Times Building, an office tower that became the center of the used iPhone buying and selling business.

Although many shops in the area operate legally, reports from the Financial Times state that some of them are involved in the stolen iPhone trading.

Major Trading Of Stolen IPhones

In malls and buildings around the Feiyang Times, there are hundreds of small companies trading large iPhones mostly from Hong Kong. Some of these devices are unlocked, making them easy to resell. However, surprisingly, the still locked iPhone still has a selling value.

An iPhone seller in Hong Kong identified as Kevin Li said that although the market for iPhone locked is very limited, in Shenzhen there is a huge demand for such devices.

According to Li, locked iPhones are usually sold for about 30% of the price of an unlocked iPhone. Although it can't be reused, the device was dismantled to retrieve important components such as screens, batteries, and cameras which are then sold as spare parts.

Threats and extortion from thieves

Although sellers like Li claim that a locked iPhone cannot be broken into, reports suggest that some stolen iPhone owners receive messages from thieves, which contain threats of extortion or removal of other devices connected to their iCloud accounts.

Apple and the Shenzhen government have yet to provide a statement regarding this report. However, the Hong Kong Police stated that they would take appropriate action if needed according to applicable law.

Meanwhile, Amrani is not the only victim of this kind of theft. The London Metropolitan Police reported that by 2023, on average 157 smartphones were stolen daily in the city. This figure even makes the Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, call Apple, Google, and other technology companies to discuss solutions to improve anti-stealing features even though major manufacturers like Apple have been embedding security features for a long time.