French authorities have launched a sweeping crackdown dubbed “Operation Prison Break”, targeting the widespread use of miniature mobile phones in the country’s prison system. The coordinated operation on Tuesday saw searches conducted in 66 prisons across France, as law enforcement aimed to seize thousands of illicit mobile devices believed to be fuelling criminal activities behind bars.
According to Paris prosecutor Laure Beccuau, the raids focused on around 500 prison cells and were aimed at locating up to 5,000 mini-phones smuggled into detention centers. These devices, roughly the size of a cigarette lighter, are manufactured by a Chinese company and were distributed in France through a reseller named Oportik. Authorities have since shut down Oportik’s website and seized its domain name.
The prosecutor noted that these tiny phones are especially problematic because they are marketed as undetectable by standard prison security systems, allowing inmates to continue illegal operations undeterred. “Investigations have established that some of these phones have been used to commit drug trafficking offences, fraud, arson, and even attempted murder,” Beccuau said.
Under French law, it is strictly prohibited to supply detainees with mobile phones of any kind. Yet, the proliferation of these miniature devices has made enforcement increasingly difficult, with prison staff often unable to detect or intercept them.
The crackdown comes amid mounting political and public pressure to restore order within the French prison system. Concerns escalated following the daring escape of notorious drug trafficker Mohamed Amra, alias “The Fly,” in May last year. The operation, which involved armed attackers ambushing a prison convoy, resulted in the deaths of two prison officers. Amra was eventually arrested in Romania and extradited to France earlier this year.
Further unrest was witnessed last month when French prisons were rocked by a series of coordinated attacks involving arson, gunfire, and graffiti. Authorities have blamed these incidents on powerful drug trafficking networks operating from within prison walls.
Operation Prison Break marks a significant step in France’s efforts to clamp down on criminal influence inside its correctional facilities and to prevent inmates from orchestrating violence and crime beyond prison gates.
