A 20-year-old woman who died with 26 iPhones glued to her body has sparked headlines across the globe.
The young woman reportedly died on July 29 while on her way to the Brazilian city of São Paulo.
It’s thought that the woman, whose identity has not been revealed, was having difficulty breathing before going into a cardiac arrest.
Emergency responders performed CPR on her for 45 minutes but sadly she still died.
In an unexpected twist to the case, the woman was found with numerous iPhones glued to her body. Her luggage had even more cellphones inside, as well as alcoholic beverages.
Here is everything we know about the case so far…
A 20-year-old woman died on a bus headed for São Paulo (Getty Stock Image)
What have local police said about the woman’s death?
The Paraná Civil Police said, as per NDTV World: “The Paraná Civil Police are investigating the case and awaiting the conclusion of forensic reports to clarify the cause of death.”
They added: “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.”
Sniffer dogs did not detect any drugs on the woman or in her luggage.
Millions of iPhones are smuggled into Brazil each year (Stanislav Kogiku/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images)
What are the theories about the woman?
It’s thought that the young woman could have been smuggling the phones, which is why she had them hidden beneath her clothes.
The devices have been turned over to Brazil’s Federal Revenue Service. Authorities are now awaiting the results of the forensic analysis.
Meanwhile, the victim’s body was sent to the Forensic Medical Institute.
The country has reportedly seen a surge in smartphone smuggling in recent years. H2FOX reported that the seizure of smuggled devices has increased by 25 percent in the first five months of 2025 alone, per a report the news outlet obtained. This worked out to be the equivalent of R$180 million in smartphones.
Previous years for phone smuggling have been bad, too. Forbes said last year that illegally sold phones at the beginning of 2023 made up nine percent – a figure which more than doubled to 25 percent by the end of that year.
Recent figures suggest that 10,000 cellphones are smuggled into Brazil on a daily basis.
It is believed the woman was trying to smuggle the phones, which were glued to her body (Getty Stock Image)
Why are phones being smuggled into Brazil?
It’s believed to come down to the prices that smartphones go for when Brazilian tax is added to the devices.
As of last year, the iPhone 16 was marketed at an eye-watering price of $1,396, per BGR. In comparison, prices for the same phone start at $799 in America.
UNILAD has contacted the Paraná Civil Police for further comment.
Featured Image Credit: Getty Images/Justin Sullivan
Topics: Crime, World News, iPhone, Phones
Niamh Shackleton
