Foxconn worker arrested for leaking iPhone 6 parts

dark iphone 6 shell

The Chinese police arrested a Foxconn factory worker suspected of having stolen and sold shells of the iPhone 6 on September 4, reports the WSJ today. Motivated by money, the man had stolen no less than 6 shells that he sold to a local electronics market in Shenzhen. 

The thief explained that he saw an ad posted around his factory offering money for iPhone 6 parts. After calling the number on the ad, he was offered $160 for every shell he could steal. After stealing one shell and receiving his fee, the man was apparently encouraged to steal more. He then proceeded to steal 5 more shells that he sold to the same buyer.

Despite the factory being under tight security, the Foxconn employee managed to get out of the factory with 6 shells without too much trouble. He was able to avoid security checks by leaving the factory at peak hours along with thousands of this co-workers, a time when individual checks are virtually impossible.

Foxconn noticed the missing parts in mid-August and alerted the police who reportedly spent 20 days watching video surveillance tapes until they were finally able to isolate the man as the likely thief.

With thousands of employees working on these electronic devices, and with low salary, it’s not a surprise that some workers would be tempted to make a quick buck leaking iPhone parts. It obviously doesn’t make it right.

[WSJ]