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Authorities are baffled, and the general public is concerned after a harrowing incident saw a woman found dead on a bus, with 26 iPhones glued to her body.
The concerning chain of events was reported on July 29, with a 20-year-old woman being found in the Brazilian city of São Paulo.
While the death would be concerning enough, the fact that the unnamed woman had 26 iPhones glued to her has led to an increased interest.
A statement from the Paraná Civil Police (via NDTV World) confirmed: "The Paraná Civil Police are investigating the case and awaiting the conclusion of forensic reports to clarify the cause of death."
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Authorities continued: "According to preliminary information, the woman, who was alone, was traveling from Foz do Iguaçu to São Paulo.
"The 26 cell phones that were glued to her body were seized and sent to the Federal Revenue Service."
Her body was sent to the Forensic Medical Institute, while the iPhones were sent to the federal police, as it will continue investigating what happened. It's said that she had symptoms consistent with a post-seizure, with signs of respiratory distress.
Apparently, sniffer dogs didn't detect any drugs on the woman or in her luggage, leading to a slew of theories about what was really going on. The general consensus is that she could've been smuggling iPhones, which would explain why they were attached to her person.
There's been a recent spate of people smuggling electronics in São Paulo, with H2FOX stating that the seizure of similar devices has soared by 25% in the first part of 2025.
Authorities took hold of R$224 million ($40.224 million) worth of smartphones between January to May 2025.
Around 10,000 are smuggled into Brazil every day, with increasing demand and an attractive price point driving the market. Considering an iPhone 16 was costing the equivalent of $1,396 in Brazil in 2024, the fact that these imported ones are being sold for around $220 makes it easy to see why the smuggling scene is booming.
According to the deputy delegate of the Brazilian Federal Revenue Service, Cláudio Marques, pricing and the small size of smartphones make them easy to disguise and transport. He adds that the movement of these devices across the border could be linked to organized crime: "They pass through in small quantities and distribute them to the rest of Brazil."
Customs inspection also suggests that only 3% of what crosses the border is retained.
Smugglers are becoming more sophisticated, with devices being hidden in cleaning robots, motorcycle helmets, and even beer kegs.
As for what happened to the woman who was found deceased on a bus, the investigation into her movements and motive continues.
