A daring heist straight out of a Hollywood movie took place at an Apple Store in the US. Thieves tunnelled their way into the store through a bathroom and made off with 436 iPhones worth a jaw-dropping Rs 4.10 crore.
Thieves broke into Seattle Coffee Gear and cut a hole in the bathroom wall to gain access to the backroom of the Apple Store. The burglars bypassed the Apple Store’s security system by using the neighbouring coffee shop and stole 436 iPhones worth around $500,000 i.e around Rs 4.10 crore.
Eric Marks, the regional retail manager revealed that he received a call the morning after the incident but was unsure of what to expect. However, the police confirmed that his shop had been used to access the Apple Store.
The CEO of the coffee shop- Mike Atkinson also posted about the incident on Twitter with a picture of the tunnel that the burglars created in the Apple Store’s bathroom ” Two men broke into one of our retail locations. Why? To cut a hole in our bathroom wall to access the Apple Store next door and steal $500k worth of Iphones,” he tweeted.
Seattle Coffee Gear had to spend nearly $900 to replace their locks and expects to spend between $600 and $800 on bathroom repairs. The police are investigating the crime and Alderwood Mall, where the stores are located, is helping them. According to Seattle’s King 5 News, the speed and accuracy of the crime have led some people, including Atkinson, to believe it was an inside job.
What makes this burglary more interesting is that generally, thieves loot banks, jewellery shops and other places to steal money or valuables. However, given the retail price of Apple products, especially the iPhone 14 which starts at $699, these gadgets are no less valuable than gold and are in high demand in black markets.
Additionally, thieves often target Apple Stores because there are many products on display and easily accessible. Also, many Apple Stores do not have their own security personnel and rely on the security provided by the mall they are located in.
In the other news, Apple CEO Tim Cook has finally opened the first two Apple retail stores in India. The first store was opened in Mumbai BKC on April 18, while the second store was unveiled on April 20, at Select City Walk mall in Saket, Delhi. On his tour in India, Tim Cook also met Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi in New Delhi on Wednesday.