What started as an ordinary bus journey to São Paulo has now turned into one of the most bizarre and stunning investigations in Brazil.
A 20-year-old woman, traveling alone from Foz do Iguaçu, suddenly collapsed on board a commercial bus on July 29. Passengers said she struggled to breathe and went into seizures as the bus neared the city of Guarapuava.
Emergency medical teams rushed to the scene and performed CPR for 45 minutes. But despite their efforts, she di*d before reaching the hospital.
Authorities initially treated the incident as a medical emergency. But things took a strange turn once they began examining her body and luggage.
Paramedics discovered that 26 iPhones had been glued directly to her body, wrapped tightly under her clothing. Officials later found more smartphones and bottles of alcohol hidden in her suitcase.
Sniffer dogs were used to search for drugs, but no narcotics were detected. Instead, the focus quickly shifted to suspected smuggling.
In a statement, the Paraná Civil Police confirmed,
“The Paraná Civil Police are investigating the case and awaiting the conclusion of forensic reports to clarify the cause of death.”
They added,
“The 26 cell phones that were glued to her body were seized and sent to the Federal Revenue Service.”
The woman’s identity has not been released, and officials say she was not accompanied by anyone during the trip. Her body has been sent to the Forensic Medical Institute for autopsy and toxicology tests.
The bizarre case comes amid a sharp rise in phone smuggling across Brazil. According to a report by H2FOX, authorities have seen a 25 percent increase in confiscated devices in just the first five months of 2025, totaling nearly R$180 million in value.
Experts believe the motive behind the smuggling is tied to Brazil’s high smartphone prices. The iPhone 16, for instance, retails for $1,396 in Brazil—compared to just $799 in the U.S.
With import taxes driving up prices, smuggling operations have become more frequent and more creative. Estimates suggest that 10,000 smartphones are smuggled into Brazil every single day.
According to Forbes, illegal phone sales surged from 9 percent to 25 percent in just one year, highlighting the scale of the underground market.
As for the woman found on the bus, her death is still under investigation. Whether her cause of death was linked to the weight and pressure of the devices, heatstroke, or another medical condition remains unclear.
But one chilling fact remains: she di*d with 26 iPhones glued to her body, a haunting detail that has left both authorities and the public searching for answers.
Featured image: (Canva)
