Chip shortage sees smugglers cling-filming CPUs to their bodies, over $4M of parts seized

Smuggling PC components over the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge
(Image credit: Wikipedia)

In a recent trend, border smugglers have turned from their usual tricks of smuggling mobile phones, and trained their eyes on PC parts. In fact, long-haul drivers have even been spotted strapping CPUs to their bodies, in order to smuggle them across borders. This is the level of desperation reached as chip shortages continue to be a feature of the contemporary industry.

Your next upgrade

(Image credit: Future)

Best CPU for gaming: the top chips from Intel and AMD
Best graphics card: your perfect pixel-pusher awaits
Best SSD for gaming: get into the game ahead of the rest

In one instance, the Customs Department of Hong Kong had intercepted two drivers crossing the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge, on Jun 16. The driver and co-driver had been acting rather suspiciously, and were soon found to be literally up to their elbows in tech.

The two were attempting to smuggle a total of 256 Intel Core i7 10700 and Core i9 10900K CPUs across the border, having strapped the high-end processors all over their bodies with cling-film, says HKPC.

Yet another attempt of CPU smuggling, thought to be related to the first, was thwarted just ten days later on the same crossing. This time, 52 Intel chips were spotted by the scanners, stuffed between the front seats. The total worth of the related instances is estimated at around $128,700.

And just a few days ago, Hong Kong Customs reported the seizure of a "batch of suspected smuggled goods at Lok Ma Chau Control Point." The haul included more than 2,200 CPUs, over 1,000 RAM sticks, 630-ish smartphones… oh, and some makeup for good measure. All this gear, just muddled up in crates filled with random electronic parts. The worth of which was chalked up at around $4 million.

With PC part prices moving ever-skyward, and components being so difficult to get hold of, it's likely this computer hardware smuggling trend will continue. But with a "maximum fine of $2 million and imprisonment for seven years," as noted by Hong Kong Customs, it's no wonder these dudes looked so nervous.

I was a little disappointed to learn that neither of the more recent busts involved people strapping computer parts to their bodies, but you can't have everything.

Katie Wickens
Hardware Writer

Screw sports, Katie would rather watch Intel, AMD and Nvidia go at it. Having been obsessed with computers and graphics for three long decades, she took Game Art and Design up to Masters level at uni, and has been rambling about games, tech and science—rather sarcastically—for four years since. She can be found admiring technological advancements, scrambling for scintillating Raspberry Pi projects, preaching cybersecurity awareness, sighing over semiconductors, and gawping at the latest GPU upgrades. Right now she's waiting patiently for her chance to upload her consciousness into the cloud.

Read more
Jensen Huang, co-founder and chief executive officer of Nvidia Corp., speaks while holding the company's new GeForce RTX 50 series graphics cards and a Thor Blackwell robotics processor during the 2025 CES event in Las Vegas, Nevada, US, on Monday, Jan. 6, 2025. Huang announced a raft of new chips, software and services, aiming to stay at the forefront of artificial intelligence computing. Photographer: Bridget Bennett/Bloomberg via Getty Images
Group allegedly trying to smuggle Nvidia Blackwell chips stare down bail set at over $1 million
A screenshot from a YouTube video showing a sticker being pulled from the front of a fake 9800X3D CPU
This Amazon-bought fake AMD Ryzen 7 9800X3D is actually a 14-year-old Bulldozer chip with a cheap sticker on it
AMD Ryzen 7 9800X3D processor
AMD accuses Intel's Arrow Lake of being a 'horrible' product and implies a lack of options for consumers has caused the Ryzen 7 9800X3D shortage
An image of a processor resting on a periodic table, with Ge (Germanium) and Ga (Gallium) being the elements in focus
Critical metals for electronic components and gadgets jump in price, as China's trade restrictions with the US begin to bite
AMD Ryzen 7 9800X3D processor
AMD's CEO Dr Lisa Su claims 'highest sell-out in many years' for desktop processors and the company is 'catching up with some demand' for gaming CPUs
OC record 1
Core i9 14900KF CPU hits a world record 9.12 GHz and proves Intel chips are still good at something
Latest in Processors
Texas Instruments MSPM0C1104 tiny chip
World's smallest microcontroller looks like I could easily accidentally inhale it but packs a genuine 32-bit Arm CPU
Intel engineers inspect a lithography machine
Finally some good vibes from Intel as stock jumps 15% on new CEO hire and Arizona fab celebrates 'Eagle has landed' moment for its 18A node
A photo of an Intel Core Ultra 9 285K processor surrounded by DDR5 memory sticks from Corsair, Kingston, and Lexar
Fresh leak suggests Intel's on-again-off-again Arrow Lake CPU refresh is back on the menu (boys)
 photo shows a factory tool that places lids on data center system-on-chips at an Intel fab in Chandler, Arizona, in December 2023. In February 2024, Intel Corporation launched Intel Foundry as the world’s first systems foundry for the AI era, delivering leadership in technology, resiliency and sustainability.
Return of the gigahertz wars: New Chinese transistor uses bismuth instead of silicon to potentially sock it to Intel and TSMC with 40% more speed
 photo shows a factory tool that places lids on data center system-on-chips at an Intel fab in Chandler, Arizona, in December 2023. In February 2024, Intel Corporation launched Intel Foundry as the world’s first systems foundry for the AI era, delivering leadership in technology, resiliency and sustainability.
So, wait, now TSMC is supposedly pitching a joint venture with Nvidia, AMD and Broadcom to run Intel's ailing chip fabs?
Pipboy holds up an open padlock.
A BIOS update could be all that's stopping you or someone else from jailbreaking your old AMD CPU
Latest in News
Possibility Space concept art.
Possibility Space owners sue NetEase for $900 million over allegations it spread 'false and defamatory rumors' of fraud at the studio that ultimately forced it to close
Valve soldier man on a pc.
2024 was Steam's 'best year ever' of users buying newly released games—but I wouldn't celebrate the end of the forever game era just yet
Money money money.
Valve tracked 1.7 million Steam users who joined in 2023 to see if they stuck around—they did, and they spent $93 million
Closeup of the new Copilot key coming to Windows 11 PC keyboards
Microsoft co-authored paper suggests the regular use of gen-AI can leave users with a 'diminished skill for independent problem-solving' and at least one AI model seems to agree
A lolporrit squeals in excitement while being driven in a moon buggie in Final Fantasy 14: Dawntrail, patch 7.2.
Final Fantasy 14 patch 7.2's trailer has me finally hyped to get stuck back in—and to go to the moon and pilot some mechs, because why not
A pink GameSir Nova Lite, and a purple 8BitDo Ultimate 2C float in a teal void.
Hall effect controllers are so cheap now I’ve got a deal for you AND your player two