Man tries to smuggle seven-year-old AMD graphics cards through Chinese airport customs—all 44 of t
By Dr. Eleanor Vance | Published on December 03, 2025
With the US ramping up bans on sending high-performance PC parts to China—and China now returning the favour—you'd think there would be a degree of interest in smuggling high-end PC parts into the country. This is not that. This is the case of a smuggler trying to move 44 AMD Radeon RX 580 graphics cards right under everyone's noses.
The smuggler's plan? Walk right out the front door of the airport with boxes full of GPUs. That's right, walk right on through nothing to declare with an innocent smile on their face and hope Chinese customs won't sniff him out. Unfortunately for the smuggler, they did.
According to the Mydrivers report (via Tom's Hardware), the 44 cards were intended to be refurbished and sold for profit. How much profit can you make on seven-year old, second-hand, most likely heavily used graphics cards? My guess would be 'enough' but I doubt it's a massively profitable venture. The 8GB of VRAM on these cards isn't ideal for working with AI models, either.
Getting just one RTX 4090 could be a very worthwhile trip for a smuggler these days, however. That card's price has reportedly skyrocketed since the US has halted Nvidia from selling any more in the country as part of a wider ban on powerful datacentre GPUs.
The report contains various images of the customs officers standing by their haul, as appears to be customary in China.
Reader Comments
I love the overall aesthetic of the platform. The animations, visual effects, and sound design make the gaming experience more dynamic and immersive. It's one of the reasons I keep coming back. The variety of games is excellent, including table games like blackjack, roulette, and baccarat, in addition to slots. This keeps the platform interesting and allows me to switch games depending on my mood.
Sometimes I wish there were more ways to earn rewards through loyalty programs or frequent player bonuses. Adding seasonal events or special challenges could enhance the excitement even further. I love the overall aesthetic of the platform. The animations, visual effects, and sound design make the gaming experience more dynamic and immersive. It's one of the reasons I keep coming back. I really enjoy playing the slot games here. The variety is amazing, from classic reels to modern video slots with interactive bonus rounds. Every spin feels like an adventure, and the graphics and sound effects are top-notch, making the experience immersive and exciting.
Sometimes I wish there were more ways to earn rewards through loyalty programs or frequent player bonuses. Adding seasonal events or special challenges could enhance the excitement even further. The progressive jackpots are thrilling, and it's exciting to watch the jackpot amounts grow as more players spin the reels. I hope they add even more jackpot slots because it adds a lot of excitement to the gameplay. The promotions and bonuses offered are very generous. I especially love the daily free spins and deposit bonuses. They make playing even more enjoyable and increase my chances of winning big. The platform keeps me engaged for hours every day.