Chinese Woman Sneakily Conceals Over 200 CPUs, Outsmarting the Police

In a bid to avoid suspicion, smuggling criminals have devised highly sophisticated tactics to outsmart both the public and the police. Recently, an extraordinary incident unfolded where a woman disguised herself as pregnant to conceal more than 200 Intel processors and 9 chips within her baby bump, attempting to bypass the police and return to China.

On November 25th, a woman named Zhao, wearing a yellow dress and exhibiting suspicious behavior, was intercepted by Customs officers at the Gongbei port in Zhuhai, Macau. The woman was believed to be pregnant and on a flight back to China. However, her visibly large protruding belly and unusual movements raised suspicions during questioning by Customs officers, revealing a nervous and fearful demeanor.

She claimed to be in her fifth month of pregnancy, but the size of her belly, appearing more like 7 or 8 months, contradicted a typical fifth-month pregnancy. Sharp-eyed Customs security conducted a thorough inspection, leading to the discovery that she was faking the pregnancy.

After dismantling the fake pregnancy belly, CPUs and mobile phones hidden with tape were exposed. Following the count, a total of 202 CPUs and 9 mobile phones were discovered. Customs proceeded to handle the case according to regulations.

Insiders revealed that, to safeguard the health and safety of pregnant women and unborn babies, most Customs officers avoid subjecting pregnant women to security checks. Therefore, the woman, Zhao, attempted to exploit this vulnerability, using her pregnancy identity to cover up her failed smuggling attempt.

Customs continues to intensify surveillance at the Gongbei port and vigorously suppress various smuggling activities, such as transporting electronic products that violate laws and regulations on smuggling goods. Simultaneously, passengers are reminded to stay vigilant and not fall prey to smugglers seeking small profits.

Currently, authorities are holding 202 Intel processors and 9 iPhones. According to assessments, these appear to be the 12th-generation Alder Lake chips from Intel, recognized by consumers as among the best for gaming.

Since 2020, an underground market for semiconductors has emerged in China, fueled by global shortages, creating a grey market where chips, possibly outdated or stolen, can be illegally sold at exorbitant prices.

It all began with the U.S. imposing extensive restrictions on the export of high-end semiconductor and chip manufacturing equipment to China. Partly to prevent them from being used for illicit military purposes. Faced with this threat, China found itself in a global chip shortage, disrupting the supply chain for everything from phones to cars, and computers.

Due to the severe chip shortage, this isn't the first time Customs have caught Chinese CPU smugglers. In March, a man exhibiting suspicious behavior was apprehended, carrying over 160 Intel processors. Last year, smugglers transporting over 300 graphics cards by fishing boat into mainland China were also apprehended, investigated, and prosecuted.

The scarcity in supply has inadvertently fueled the greed of criminals smuggling Intel processors. It can be said that Intel processors remain an enticing and sought-after commodity in the consumer market.

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