14 DAY TRIAL // Last week, US government officials announced the decision to ban laptops and tablets from hand baggage on some flights. Later on, the UK instituted a similar ban on flights from a number of countries in the Middle East and North Africa.
The ban came into effect this weekend and one of the reasons was a plot that involved a fake iPad being used as a bomb. The Guardian reported that the US Department of Homeland Security had previously stated that the ban was the result of terrorists searching for new ways to attack planes. One such method involved using fake iPads.
Officials found that explosives could be hidden in fake iPads, which looked just like the devices made by Apple. The plot would thus allow for dangerous devices to be introduced in the cabin area in carry-on luggage.
Fake iPads are available in many countries
Officials from the US banned laptops, tablets and other “large electronic devices” in cabin luggage on flights from 10 airports. The UK enforced a similar ban restricted to flights coming from six countries. The report mentions that the airports were selected based on the quality of their security checks, and defense and intelligence specialists said that other western countries should implement the same measure.
Fake iPads are widely available in China, although some of them are non-functional. The dummy models are made to resemble actual Apple iPads down to the smallest design trait. When turned on, it becomes clear that the devices are fake, since they run an Android skin that’s designed to look like iOS.
iPads aren’t the only Apple devices to get counterfeit versions; fake iPhone 7 units were made available last year, before the original Apple smartphone was announced. The phone had all the rumored design details and was sold mostly in China.