In an unprecedented sweep of correctional facilities across the country, French authorities have uncovered a vast and dangerous trade in ultra-compact mobile phones being smuggled into prisons. These devices, nicknamed “thumb phones” or “suppositories” in prison slang due to their diminutive size and concealability, have become central tools for coordinating serious criminal activity from behind bars-including drug trafficking, money laundering, and contract killings.

The revelation came as part of “Operation Prison Break,” a nationwide crackdown conducted on May 20, during which French authorities searched nearly 500 cells in 66 prisons. Thousands of the tiny phones were seized, providing disturbing insight into how organized crime networks have weaponized technology to extend their influence from prison cells to the streets-and beyond.

At the heart of the scandal are thumb-sized phones, often no larger than a cigarette lighter and composed largely of plastic, which allows them to slip past metal detectors and routine security scans. With limited functionality and discreet designs, these devices are inexpensive, often mass-produced in China, and remarkably difficult to detect.

Authorities estimate that roughly 5,000 of these miniature phones have infiltrated French correctional institutions, with many being smuggled in by visitors-some reportedly hiding the phones inside body cavities to bypass detection. According to French media, the devices are often delivered to inmates during visitation hours and hidden in rectums, hence the disturbing nickname “suppositories.”

These tiny devices have enabled inmates to retain operational control over criminal organizations, coordinating narcotics shipments, transferring illicit funds, and even ordering hits on rivals or informants. Inmates are essentially operating as CEOs of their criminal enterprises from within the confines of a prison cell.

“Operation Prison Break” was a turning point. The operation, which involved meticulous coordination among French law enforcement and prison administrators, was described by officials as one of the largest anti-smuggling operations in French prison history. The raid exposed the magnitude of the threat these phones pose to national security and law enforcement.

The French anti-organized crime unit, known as JUNALCO, was central in tracking the origins and supply chains of the phones. Investigators followed a trail that led to international e-commerce platforms and underground markets, including a now-defunct reseller website called Oportik. The site’s shutdown highlights the growing concern over how digital platforms can be exploited for criminal purposes.

Upon identifying the global nature of the trafficking operation, JUNALCO promptly shared its findings with Eurojust, the European Union’s agency for judicial cooperation in criminal matters. Eurojust, in turn, sounded the alarm to its network of National Desks and Liaison Prosecutors, distributing the technical specifications and detection protocols associated with the phones.

Eurojust’s involvement signals a shift in how prison-based criminal activity is being understood-not as isolated incidents, but as a transnational problem requiring international coordination. In a public statement, Eurojust emphasized the urgency of the issue, calling on law enforcement agencies across Europe and beyond to assess whether similar devices are present in their own prison systems.

The agency warned that the phones’ technical features-minimal metal parts, limited electromagnetic signatures, and small size-make them ideal tools for evading traditional prison surveillance mechanisms. “This is a wake-up call,” said a Eurojust spokesperson. “What’s happening in French prisons today could be happening elsewhere tomorrow.”

Countries with high incarceration rates and large populations of organized crime inmates are considered particularly vulnerable. Experts warn that, without international cooperation, the trafficking of thumb phones could become a standard feature of global prison systems, empowering criminal networks and undermining judicial authority.

The crackdown also illustrates the growing challenges faced by prison administrators in an age of rapidly evolving technology. Traditional prison security tools-such as pat-downs, metal detectors, and rudimentary X-ray machines-are increasingly ineffective against modern smuggling techniques. Moreover, inmates are finding innovative ways to hide and use these devices without arousing suspicion.

Once inside, the phones are typically hidden in hollowed-out shoes, books, or mattresses. Some inmates use them only at night, hiding them in light fixtures or inside drainpipes during the day. Despite their limited features-most can only make calls or send SMS-these phones provide just enough connectivity to keep crime syndicates alive and functional.

In response to the operation’s findings, French lawmakers are considering stricter penalties for smuggling electronic devices into prisons, both for inmates and visitors. Enhanced screening protocols, including body scanners and signal-jamming technology, are being proposed as part of a broader prison security overhaul.

Prison unions have long called for such measures, warning that under-resourced and understaffed facilities are ill-equipped to combat increasingly sophisticated smuggling operations. “This is not just a matter of contraband-it’s a matter of public safety,” said a spokesperson for France’s prison guards’ union.

Technological solutions, such as non-metallic detection scanners and more sensitive mobile signal locators, are being tested in select high-risk facilities. However, implementing such systems nationwide would require a significant investment of time and resources.

The French government’s aggressive move against thumb phones reveals an alarming reality: even in maximum-security prisons, organized crime remains alive and well. As technology becomes smaller, smarter, and more accessible, the tools available to criminals-even incarcerated ones-are expanding rapidly.

The coordinated international response led by Eurojust is a critical step toward stemming the tide. But unless countries adopt more advanced screening technologies and close legal loopholes that allow such devices to proliferate, the war on organized crime may find its most dangerous front inside prison walls.

Ultimately, France’s crackdown is not just about seizing phones-it’s about reasserting control over institutions meant to enforce justice, not enable further crime. The world is now watching to see if others will follow suit, or if criminal networks will continue to exploit digital loopholes in systems designed to contain them.

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