Smartphone theft: how an iPhone 17 trapped an international trafficking network to Morocco

The intervention of the Mossos d’Esquadra took place on Wednesday in an industrial area of Castellbisbal, near the AP-7 motorway. The agents acted on the precise report of a young woman who was tracking her phone, stolen a few days earlier. The geolocation of the terminal indicated a rapid movement towards the south, prompting the law enforcement to deploy an interception device that led to the control of the heavy vehicle before it left the Spanish territory.

On board the truck, the investigators found a backpack hiding a large stock of electronic equipment: 153 high-end mobile phones, mainly iPhones, as well as eight tablets and about ten computers. The driver, a 51-year-old Moroccan national, was immediately taken into custody for receiving stolen goods. During his hearing, he claimed to have accepted to transport the goods for a fee on behalf of a third party, denying any knowledge of the fraudulent origin of the devices.

This line of defense is struggling to convince the authorities, especially since the terminals were carefully packaged and labeled, suggesting a well-oiled logistics. According to police sources, at least five of the seized phones have already been formally identified as stolen. Investigators are now working to trace the origin of the rest of the loot, which was intended to supply the second-hand market in North Africa, where these products are resold at prices below market value.