Foxconn manager steals 5,700 iPhones, worth $1.56 million

According to AsiaOne, a former senior manager at Foxconn has stolen around 5,700 units of the Apple iPhone 5 and iPhone 5s between 2013 and 2014. The theft was done in one of Foxconn's facilities in China.

The Taiwanese manager, identified by the name Tsai, worked in the testing department of a Foxconn facility in the Chinese city of Shenzhen. According to the Asian media, he instructed eight different employees to smuggle the devices out of the factory. The stolen units were supposed to be scrapped, but they landed in Shenzhen stores instead, making around $1.56 million for Tsai and his accomplices.

Following an internal audit, Foxconn caught up with the scheme and reported it to Taiwanese authorities. Tsai was brought in for questioning after he returned to Taiwan this year, and was later released on bail. If he is found guilty, the man could face up to 10 years in jail for breach of trust.

This is not the first time Foxconn employees have misbehaved. Back in 2014, five former company employees were charged with breach of trust for accepting a total of $5 million in bribes by suppliers to clear security checks and buy equipment. All five of them were sentenced to 10 years and six months behind bars.

source: AsiaOne via BusinessInsider