In a significant crackdown, the French prosecutor's office has initiated a substantial operation aimed at eradicating the use of miniature Chinese-made phones within the prison system. The operation, dubbed “Operation Prison Break,” was announced on Tuesday, involving searches of approximately 500 prison cells across 66 detention centers. These phones, frequently likened to the size of a cigarette lighter, have garnered notoriety for being nearly imperceptible to metal detectors, making them prime candidates for illicit activities.
French Authorities Intensify Search for Miniature Phones Smuggled into Prisons
French Authorities Intensify Search for Miniature Phones Smuggled into Prisons
French police embark on a nationwide operation targeting contraband mini phones aiding criminal activities behind bars.
Inmates reportedly refer to these devices as "suppositories" due to their ease of concealment. Investigations reveal that these miniature telephones have been instrumental in facilitating serious crimes from within prison walls, including drug trafficking, extortion, arson, and even attempted murder. The prosecutor's office indicated that around 5,000 of these phones had been sold by a supplier named Oportik, which has since halted operations with three staff members arrested.
Justice Minister Gerald Darmanin expressed the government's commitment to dismantling the criminal organizations that continue to operate from within prison. There were approximately 40,000 mobile phones confiscated in French prisons in 2024 alone, with some devices launched over walls or delivered by drones. While phone-jamming technologies are in use in certain facilities, their effectiveness remains under scrutiny.
Though the manufacture of these mini-phones is legal in France, it is against the law to provide a prisoner with a telephone. The prosecutor's office has communicated details of how they traced the mini-phones to Eurojust, the EU's judicial cooperation agency, encouraging similar actions across member states to combat this pressing issue. With mounting pressure on the French government to bolster prison security, Operation Prison Break represents a decisive step towards controlling the flow of contraband technology within the corrections system.
Justice Minister Gerald Darmanin expressed the government's commitment to dismantling the criminal organizations that continue to operate from within prison. There were approximately 40,000 mobile phones confiscated in French prisons in 2024 alone, with some devices launched over walls or delivered by drones. While phone-jamming technologies are in use in certain facilities, their effectiveness remains under scrutiny.
Though the manufacture of these mini-phones is legal in France, it is against the law to provide a prisoner with a telephone. The prosecutor's office has communicated details of how they traced the mini-phones to Eurojust, the EU's judicial cooperation agency, encouraging similar actions across member states to combat this pressing issue. With mounting pressure on the French government to bolster prison security, Operation Prison Break represents a decisive step towards controlling the flow of contraband technology within the corrections system.
