A lack of chips in the global market, that has paralyzed car production, computers, cell phones and other products, may be behind cases of CPU smuggling Intel in Hong Kong. According to the website Tom’s Hardware, there have been at least three major registrations in the region since last month.
The first incident took place on June 16, when the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge Customs (HKEPC) inspected a truck traveling through the site. Authorities found nothing unusual about the vehicle, but the driver’s strange behavior caught the attention of officials.
They searched it and ended up finding 256 Intel processors strapped with film to their chest and legs, including Core i7-10700 and Core i9-10900K chips. According to HKEPC, the material was valued at 800,000 yuan, equivalent to nearly R$ 650,000 at today’s price.
Chips hidden in the driver’s legs.Source: HKEPC/Disclosure
A second attempt to smuggle microchips it took place 10 days later, again in a truck crossing the bridge, but with a smaller amount of products. This time, 52 Intel CPUs, hidden among the banks, were seized.
Processors, Cell Phones and Other Products
In the most recent case, which occurred on Monday (5), Hong Kong Customs seized a load with almost 4,000 products. Among the material were 2,200 processors, in addition to more than 1 thousand RAM memory sticks, 630 cell phones and a few dozen cosmetics.
In total, the confiscated material was valued by the local authorities at US$4 million, the equivalent of more than R$21 million per day’s price. The cargo was also hidden in a truck, as in the other occurrences.
Given the high prices caused by the drought of semiconductors, which according to Intel can last a few years, new attempts to illegally enter the material in the region are not ruled out by the authorities.
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