hundred+ aeroflot employees banned from the USA for smuggling stolen iphones

[Markje]

In other news today:

Of course, aeroflot employees are smuggling stolen iphones, especially pilots they don't make enough money.

I don't know if the article posted is true of course, but it reeks like propaganda against russia.
1,2 maybe 10 I can believe, but 100+ ? no way.

Article in Dutch:
https://www.telegraaf.nl/nieuws/1521872962/tientallen-bemanningsleden-aeroflot-smokkelden-gestolen-i-phones

Mark.

[Steveboy]

In other news today:

Of course, aeroflot employees are smuggling stolen iphones, especially pilots they don't make enough money.

I don't know if the article posted is true of course, but it reeks like propaganda against russia.
1,2 maybe 10 I can believe, but 100+ ? no way.

Article in Dutch:
https://www.telegraaf.nl/nieuws/1521872962/tientallen-bemanningsleden-aeroflot-smokkelden-gestolen-i-phones

Mark.

It could be true!! Cos iPhones are 50 times more expensive here.. and of course it's like a luxury phone..

They just about introduced iPhone 1 here in the last year, and only the super rich have these..

Most people in Russia are still walking around with these..



Are they also smuggling Levi jeans in..

[Danchik]

Apple has an online store in Russia with delivery in Moscow. iPhone 12 for example, is 99K rubles for the pro compared to $1K in the US.
So about $200 more and you can "smuggle" a few in without being a pilot. Maybe more for pilots, but the authorities are pretty strict about it.

I remember a few years back bringing 6 iPads into the country as a favour for a friend who said he could sell them as soon as I landed. Well he was able to sell 4 and I eventually sold the last for the same amount it would have cost the buyer in America and gave the one for me to a friend for her wedding present.

100 does seem a bit extreme and hard to believe, but it could be possible here and there, but I wouldn't want to get caught with them. The authorities at the airport are not people you want to deal in that respect, that's for sure.

Funny thing about bringing those iPads in. When I went through customs they actually stopped me, probably because I looked like a "челнок" carrying a boatload of baggage for one person .

They didn't give a hoot about the 6 IPads in my bags, but were more interested in the 400 protein bars I was carrying. When the guy asked me how long I planned on staying in Russia, I said about a year, maybe a year and a half. He waved me through.

I doubt that would have flown if the bars were IPhones.

[Manny]

Its 100+ visas revoked. Not 100 staff accused. The translation:

==========

Dozens of Aeroflot crew members smuggled stolen iPhones

WASHINGTON - More than 100 crew members of the Russian airline Aeroflot are no longer entering the United States because they smuggled stolen iPhones out of the country. Eight colleagues are in prison, American media report.

A total of 113 Aeroflot employees have visas for the US revoked. A total of ten people, including former crew members, have been charged with smuggling mostly stolen iPhones, iPads and Apple watches worth $ 50 million. The contraband was intended for Russia. Some crew members took hundreds of thousands of dollars worth of items on a flight.

The investigation had started three years ago.

==========

I thought if Apple blocked an iPhone it couldn't be used again anywhere in the world?

[Danchik]

I thought if Apple blocked an iPhone it couldn't be used again anywhere in the world?

Russians tell me it pretty easy to unlock it you're good IT person.

Someone would probably charge you the difference to unlock it unless you're well acquainted a person who can do it.

[andrewfi]

The Googles tell me unblocking an iPhone is a piece of piss: https://www.imyfone.com/unlock-iphone/how-to-unlock-stolen-iphone/

OK, so there's some propaganda point scoring going on here, but it is hard for Aeroflot to avoid some complicity here! Aeroflot staff member carried NINE suitcases and nobody said anything? It surely looks like Aeroflot were not taking too much care.

On the other hand, its a good job that the whole airline terrorist thing is security theatre because otherwise somebody would've put a bomb in one of those suitcases that nobody was checking!

[Texan77]

In other news today:

Of course, aeroflot employees are smuggling stolen iphones, especially pilots they don't make enough money.

I don't know if the article posted is true of course, but it reeks like propaganda against russia.
1,2 maybe 10 I can believe, but 100+ ? no way.

Article in Dutch:
https://www.telegraaf.nl/nieuws/1521872962/tientallen-bemanningsleden-aeroflot-smokkelden-gestolen-i-phones

Mark.

There was a big bust a few years ago with USA crews bringing cash out of Venezuela to Miami. They would bring odds amount of money 7 to 8 thousands dollars at a time and get paid ten per cent. Since they would maybe make five trips a week it would more than double their airline pay. It was done on a number of airlines. I believe there were some pilots that were doing it too. Up to 15,000 dollars a month tax free.

I know of no law saying that you can not carry a hundred Iphones to Russia. It is a Russian problem if they want to tax the phones. The only problem is the phones were stolen which customs would not be aware of. The truth is they likely had to buy these phones and a pilot would be able to afford to buy more phones. They may not of been aware the phones were stolen.

Whether the story is true or not I do not think is says anything about the Russian government bad or good. People do this kind of stuff everywhere.

[Markje]

Its 100+ visas revoked. Not 100 staff accused. The translation:

==========

Dozens of Aeroflot crew members smuggled stolen iPhones

WASHINGTON - More than 100 crew members of the Russian airline Aeroflot are no longer entering the United States because they smuggled stolen iPhones out of the country. Eight colleagues are in prison, American media report.

A total of 113 Aeroflot employees have visas for the US revoked. A total of ten people, including former crew members, have been charged with smuggling mostly stolen iPhones, iPads and Apple watches worth $ 50 million. The contraband was intended for Russia. Some crew members took hundreds of thousands of dollars worth of items on a flight.

The investigation had started three years ago.

==========

I thought if Apple blocked an iPhone it couldn't be used again anywhere in the world?

Thats why i thought of propaganda. If a few bad apples have been arrested. Why revoke visa of the rest. Either they are innocent and theres another motive. Or they arent and you can arrest them too.

[Texan77]

Thats why i thought of propaganda. If a few bad apples have been arrested. Why revoke visa of the rest. Either they are innocent and theres another motive. Or they arent and you can arrest them too.

The story seems big enough and USA related enough it should of been in USA news. I have searched for this story and it is not here.
The big story about Iphone and Russia in the USA is a ten month old story

https://appleinsider.com/articles/19/11/22/russia-to-ban-iphones-and-all-devices-not-pre-loaded-with-local-apps

New legislation will require all smartphones, computers and even smart televisions to have Russian-made software included from July 2020. Supporters say it promotes local technology, but detractors believe that a fear of surveillance apps will make manufacturers pull out of Russia.

[Manny]

The story seems big enough and USA related enough it should of been in USA news. I have searched for this story and it is not here.

Its on many English language sites.

Look further than MSN, Tex. 

[andrewfi]

Texan77, if there was no law against what they were doing then why was it the USA that arrested them.

Give it a little bit of thought.

There's all sorts of reasons why your leaders would consider the activity illegal.

[AvHdB]

Texan77, if there was no law against what they were doing then why was it the USA that arrested them.

Give it a little bit of thought.

There's all sorts of reasons why your leaders would consider the activity illegal.

In general theft is considered stealing and that is normally a crime. If you steal something and than smuggle undeclared that stolen property into another country than you are really asking to the powers to be curious to ask your name. Worth noting this was according to the article not a one time offense but happened repeatedly over three years.

Below is a more complete overview of the incident.

https://www.occrp.org/en/daily/13287-u-s-charges-10-in-50-million-russian-iphone-smuggling-ring#:~:text=The%20U.S.%20judiciary%20has%20charged,US%2450%20million%20into%20Russia.&text=Daibagya%20and%20Shohruh%20Saidov%2C%20according,occasionally%20smuggled%20the%20devices%20themselves.