You’ve got to admire the audacity of the Chinese hucksters who were illegally importing iPads and iPhones across the border from Hong Kong, by way of a rope-and-pulley system, triggered by a crossbow and desire to make some cash.
The Chinese news report of the sting operation, above, shows the flying fox-style cable that crossed the border from northern Hong Kong to Shenzhen, where they were sold on for a profit to take advantage of the lower taxes. Police only found out about the smuggling after spying the 300meter-long line, which connected a village house to a 21st floor of a city high-rise in Shenzhen some two minutes’ sail through the air-away.
Six smugglers have since been arrested, and over $US46,000 worth of iPads and iPhones have been captured. However illegal the zipwire may’ve been, I think it’s an ingenious way to send goods between Apple stores quickly — perhaps Jobs and co can look into a similar system for cities with more than one branch? [DailySS and YCWB via MicGadget]