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Exposed: Tiny Phone Smuggling

The tiny phone business is booming

Mark Craycraft by Mark Craycraft
6 years ago
in Public Safety
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The Truth Behind Tiny Phone Smuggling.

In an age where bigger is better, why is there such a demand for a tiny phone?

On the market today, we have the amazing technology of phones like:

  • iPhone 11
  • Samsung Galaxy Note 20
  • OnePlus 8 Pro
  • Samsung Galaxy Note 10 Plus
  • Moto G Power
  • Samsung Galaxy S20 Ultra

These phones boast amazing camera features, huge screens, and high demand. However, there is also a booming market in the tiny phone world. But, who on Earth would want a phone that’s not much bigger than a cigarette lighter? The answer, those who aren’t supposed to have a phone. Hence, the Tiny Phone Smuggling market is born.




Not only are these phone’s tiny, but they are also made 100% out of plastic. Although the computer inside has silver components metals like silver, gold or platinum will not set off a metal detector. That’s why, if you have silver fillings in your teeth, your face won’t sound any alarms.

Who is the largest consumer of these tiny phones? Prisoners.

There are 2.3 million prisoners in the U.S. and over 10 million prisoners worldwide. In addition, these tiny phones make for the perfect ‘burner” phone for criminals on the outside. Many have very limited technology (like GPS tracking).

If you’re doing “hard time”. There are deluxe models that offer all the features of a traditional smartphone. That includes cameras, Facebook, Youtube, and access to all the fun apps in the app store.

tiny Phone Smuggling

These phones are readily available on Amazon, Wish, Ebay, etc. The regular phones retail around $50 and the deluxe phones fetch about $100.

Some inside details were provided by a person who is currently incarcerated. “You don’t bring the phones in with you. There are cavity searches and you could easily catch more charges. However, once you’re in, you’ll be just fine.”

He went on to describe that in every county jail or state prison there is a marketplace for everything. “It won’t take more than a couple of days to find the guy that has the phones. It’s gonna cost you, but at that point, who cares?”



Some prisoners have even described having their visitors wrap the phone in a plastic baggie and dropping them into a drink container when visiting. “How often do they scan a drink? Never. They put it on top of the scanner and pass it straight through.”

There have been rap groups created in prison and posting their content on YouTube.

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The tiny phone business is booming. They are even setting up vendor booths at popular electronic shows. They know their product is primarily targeted to those who need an easy “drop phone” or those that are smuggling phones into places where phones are banned.

Should companies that know their consumer base is largely involved in criminal activity be allowed to operate?

The final word goes to our inside source, “It’s the emotional segregation (in jail). I’ve got no problem sticking a phone up my ass. It means staying in contact with my loved ones.”

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