In March 2018, Chinese officers have arrested smugglers who attempted to drop $80 million worth of iPhones from drone to China. The plan was to sell them via black market for hefty profit. The smugglers packed small bags with around 10 iPhones and attach them to the drones. The unmanned aircrafts were supposed to fly from Hong Kong to the mainland in just a matter of seconds. They had the ability to transport up to 15,000 devices each night.

Smuggling of high-value products is nothing new in China. The authorities have been working hard to crackdown on the practice and to stop the increase of black market. Despite breaking up the drone attempt, the officials warned that smuggling would continue.