A 20-year-old woman in Brazil has died while allegedly attempting to smuggle 26 iPhones taped to her body.

The incident has shocked authorities and drawn renewed attention to the booming black market for electronics in the region.

The woman, whose identity has not been released, was travelling alone on a long-distance bus from Foz do Iguaçu, near the Paraguayan border, to São Paulo when she reportedly fell ill.

The bus made a scheduled stop at a roadside restaurant in Guarapuava, Paraná, where she began experiencing breathing difficulties and later suffered a seizure.

Emergency responders spent 45 minutes trying to revive her, but she was declared dead at the scene.

While treating her, paramedics discovered multiple packages affixed to her body, later confirmed to contain 26 iPhones, including some older or refurbished models. Several bottles of alcohol were also found in her luggage, but no drugs were detected.

Authorities suspect the woman was attempting to smuggle the phones across the country to avoid Brazil’s steep import taxes on electronics.

The devices have been seized by Brazil’s Federal Revenue Service, and police are working to trace their origins.

The Paraná Civil Police said they are awaiting forensic results to determine the cause of death.

Preliminary theories suggest the taped packages may have caused physical stress or interfered with circulation, contributing to the fatal cardiac arrest.

Brazil is facing a growing problem with smartphone smuggling, particularly from Paraguay.

According to analyst firm IDC, an estimated 6.2 million smartphones entered Brazil illegally in 2024 – roughly one in four devices sold.

Smugglers often use bus routes and small shipments to avoid detection.

Authorities have not yet confirmed whether this case is directly linked to a larger smuggling operation.

The investigation remains ongoing.