Overview

• French authorities launched 'Operation Prison Break' on May 20, 2025, targeting contraband miniature phones in 66 prisons nationwide.
• Around 500 cells are being searched as officials aim to confiscate an estimated 5,000 undetectable devices linked to organized crime activities.
• The phones, marketed as security-bypassing and resold by French supplier Oportik, have been used for drug trafficking, fraud, arson, and attempted murder.
• Oportik's website and domain have been seized, with legal actions underway against the supplier and potential complicit insiders.
• The crackdown follows escalating contraband seizures, violent prison attacks, and a high-profile 2024 escape that intensified calls for stronger prison security measures.