Prison inmates had 19 phones in anal cavities, stomachs

Three prison inmates were found with a total of 19 mobile phones in their stomachs and anuses. Photo / Australscope

Three prison inmates were found with a total of 19 mobile phones in their stomachs and anuses after a metal detector check.

The group were given X-rays after setting off a metal detector during a check in a prison in the city of Presidente Bernardes, in the south-eastern Brazilian state of Sao Paulo.

One had five small mobile phones in his anus, and another four. The third had ten of the devices in his stomach, along with headphones.

The two with the phones secreted in their anuses did not require treatment but the man with ten in his stomach had to undergo surgery to remove them.

Police seized the devices and the inmates are the subjects of an ongoing investigation.

An x-ray shows objects that were found in a man's stomach Photo / Australscope

According to official sources, the prison was opened in November 1990 and has more than 2041 inmates despite its intended capacity being 1247.

The type of mobile phone discovered inside the men's bodies was not reported but the smallest commercially available model is thought to be the J8CZ, branded as Long.
The thumb-sized handset measures 68 x 23 x 11 millimetres.

Manufacturers describe it as being ideal for parties, the idea being that users can put their SIM card into the tiny phone and keep it with them in outfits that have only small pockets.