MIAMI (AP) — Eight people have been charged in the theft of 23,000 Apple iPhones using a disguised tractor-trailer to steal the cargo at Miami International Airport.
The FBI said in a news release Tuesday that the suspects were arrested in the Miami area. They face conspiracy to possess stolen goods and other federal charges. The stolen phones are valued at $6.7 million.
According to a grand jury indictment, the group used false identification and a tractor-trailer altered to appear like it belonged to a legitimate company to steal the iPhones in April.
The phones were hidden in a rental storage unit and many were sold to unidentified buyers, often dozens at a time. It’s unclear if any stolen phones have been recovered.
The suspects began appearing Monday in Miami federal court.