Guarapuava: Young woman with 26 iPhones glued to her body dies in bizarre circumstances

Police are investigating the bizarre death of a young woman who died with 26 iPhones glued to her body.

The 20-year-old from Brazil was a passenger on a bus travelling from Foz do Iguaçu to São Paulo on July 29 when she fell ill.

Emergency services were called around 10.30pm when the bus stopped at a restaurant in Guarapuava in southern Brazil, when the woman complained of breathing difficulties.

Despite the efforts of paramedics with the Mobile Emergency Care Service, her breathing worsened soon after and she had a seizure in the restaurant. After about 45 minutes of trying to revive her, the woman was declared dead.

While they were trying to treat the woman, who was travelling alone, the paramedics noted several packages attached to her body, according to local media outlet Gazeta do Parana.

Police later confirmed they were packages containing 26 iPhones that had been glued directly to her skin.

It is believed that the woman may have been attempting to smuggle the items to avoid paying the high taxes that electronic goods attract when bringing them across the border into Brazil.

Her luggage was found to contain several bottles of alcohol. A search with sniffer dogs did not uncover any illicit drugs.

The phones and the alcohol have been seized.

The woman’s body has been sent to the Forensic Medical Institute to investigate the cause of death.

“The Paraná Civil Police are investigating the case and awaiting the conclusion of forensic reports to clarify the cause of death,” police said.

Police are also investigating the origin of the iPhones.

The woman’s identity has not been revealed.