Stolen iPhones worth millions of dollars surface in Russia

By on Dec 2, 2009 at 6:08 AM
News December 2, 2009

We’ve seen pretty wild iPhone thefts in the past, some involving serious injury, but you just know it’s bad when Interpol gets involved. Thousands of iPhone 3GS’ were stolen from a Belgian warehouse through a hole in the roof directly above the smartphones, and they’re now surfacing in Russia. The iPhone 3GS is definitely going to be a hot commodity there because of the vast grey/black market and because the 3GS hasn’t been officially released in Russia. If you’re planning on grabbing one of the hot phones, you should think twice. Interpol already has a list of the IMEI numbers on the stolen phones so it’s a matter of time before people start getting caught. We’re just wondering how many of those iPhones might be recovered.

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45 Comments

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  • e

    Guys, im russian, and let me tell u something, no one is coming to catch ppl using stolen iphones in russia.
    u can sell anyhting u want, no one cares. about anyhting, or anyone. everything and anything is bought and sold, so no one like interpol , or euro pol or fbi or whoever is coming to russia to get ppl who bought stolen iphones. and confiscating them . trust me. so funny. hahaha! and trust me no russian phone carriers are blacklisting anything they can make money on. everyone here that thinks something going to happen is stupid, just like the owner of the warehouse who had several million dollars worth of iphones left unguarded, im mean its not a gold coin right? it aint a watch? u need a trucks and maybe fork lifts right? few thousand iphones + box + tape +plastic inside+ booklets, whats it weigh? few thousand pounds maybe? good luck getting us russians enforced on of possession stolen property, not happening, not in this lifetime. 60% of everything in russia is stolen in 1 form or another. prob inside job if u ask me.

    • Mrwirez

      They don’t have to come get them… They just shut them off. Apple, Interpol, and the FBI have the electronic serial numbers.

      • http://Boored@work AGROS

        well year, I doubt Apple will do anything. I mean a few years ago my PS3 got stolen from my house after a fire. I called Sony, all they said is sorry there is nothing we can do. I had the serial numbers and all. Apple is not going to get involved, because as far as they know the phones have been paid for. And the seller has been compensated by is insurance company. FBI doesn’t have any jurisdiction in Russia without the russian government giving them permission… and FBI isn’t going to get involved wither… ’nuff said

  • APG

    It’s a inside job, we all know it

  • bigmex

    Mrwirez, are u serious with that ” They just shut them off. Apple, Interpol, and the FBI have the electronic serial numbers.”? That country has some of the most elite hackers in the world, no electronic that can plug into a pc or be coneected to wireless is unhackable, so please. not defending them,but u better believe that the best thing apple and interpol and whoever can wish for is catching the thieves that did this, other then that,those phone are gone and ARE gonna be in use if they aint already.

  • JakeyBoy

    nobody is stealing DROIDs, wonder why?

    • Cpete

      i mean its probably because they arent international phones and also they haven’t been out for 3 years for the entire world to hear about and never get away from.

      • JakeyBoy

        it was a rhetorical question

  • ALvin B.

    Whether or not they CAN is irrelevant. Seriously, having dealt with Sprint & their “blacklisted ESN” shenannnigans, I certainly hope Apple, etc, don’t go so far as to blacklist IMEIs of these stolen phones.

    Why? Because rarely does the person actually USING the phone have any clue it was ever stolen. They paid the money just like anyone else to a dealer (or someone on eBay), and will be the ones punished – NOT THE THIEVES. If the IMEIs are blacklisted somehow, the thieves still made their money.

    • JakeyBoy

      don’t forget VZW does the same thing! GSM phones will probably never have blacklisted imei’s.

  • tjswirl

    If at&t out there was to shut it off or something, they would need to unlock it and switch providers. But who in the world cares its apple…

  • http://afroasian.co.uk john king

    hi am looking for free ipod or iphne in japan

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