Premium

‘Phones or artefacts?’: Libyan trader receives Nokia mobile phones he ordered in 2010

The shipment had been handed over to a local contact in 2010, but failed to reach its destination as Libya plunged into political tension.

3 min readNew DelhiJan 12, 2026 05:03 PM IST

The men share in the video that both the sender and receiver were based in Tripoli, just a few kilometres apart (Image source: @mog_russEN/X)

After nearly 16 years of uncertainty caused by political turmoil, a Libyan trader in Tripoli finally received a shipment of Nokia mobile phones he ordered back in 2010.

In a viral video, the trader and his friends are seen opening cartons packed with long-obsolete Nokia handsets, once considered cutting-edge. Bursting into laughter, the trader remarks, “Are these phones or artefacts?”

The shipment had been handed over to a local contact in 2010, but failed to reach its destination as Libya plunged into political tension following a Nato operation and the civil war that followed. The men say in the video that both the sender and receiver were based in Tripoli, just a few kilometres apart. “It must have circled the world and come back,” one of them jokes.

As they sift through the boxes containing early-generation models, the group reflects on how valuable these phones once were. “Sixteen years ago, this could have bought a big house,” one man says.

Sharing the video, an X handle that goes by the name Russian News wrote, “After a 16-year wait due to the war, a Libyan trader in Tripoli finally receives a shipment of Nokia phones he ordered in 2010,” adding, “A unique story highlighting the tragedies of war and the destruction of nations under the West’s absurd pretexts.”

Watch here:

🚨⚡️UNUSUAL

After a 16-year wait due to the war, a Libyan trader in Tripoli finally receives a shipment of Nokia phones he ordered in 2010!

Upon opening the boxes, he joked, “Are these phones or artifacts?”

A unique story highlighting the tragedies of war and the destruction… pic.twitter.com/KVOXWJJ1u5

— RussiaNews 🇷🇺 (@mog_russEN) January 8, 2026

Also Read | 14 minutes, Rs 14 lakh: how 3 women pulled off gold theft at a Prayagraj store

The video has gone viral, amassing over two million views and a wave of reactions. “Looking at the current geopolitical scenarios, these phones are absolutely valuable. They have no tracker,” an X user noted. “With collector culture in America he can probably sell them over here for double the profit he would if he wouldve got them when he ordered them,” another user commented.

“Bro should be grateful he is alive to receive them. Many are gone with their goods still on the way,” a third user reacted.