Prison Guards Heard Cellphone Ringing Coming From Sri Lankan Inmate's Butt

Hospital x-ray showing a cellphone and two hands-free head sets inside inmate's rectum.

By H. Nelson Goodson

February 10, 2013

Colombo, Sri Lanka - P.W. Kodippili, Sri Lanka's Prison Commissioner confirmed to media outlets that last week an inmate identified only as G. Siripala, 58, had a cellphone and two hands-free head sets removed from his rectum at the Colombo National Hospital. Siripala was in the hospital for two days and returned to the Welikade Maximum Prison.

Siripala had a cellphone and two hands-free head sets smuggled into prison. Last week, he was using the cellphone, when a surprised search for drugs, weapons and contraband was initiated by guards in his cell block. Having no place to hide it at the moment, Siripala immediately inserted the cellphone and the head sets into his rectum.

While the guards search the inmate's cell, the person who Siripala had abruptly disconnected the call apparently called back and the guards heard a cellphone ringing coming from Siripala's butt. The inmate was taken to the hospital.

Doctors took an x-ray and notice the cellphone and the headsets in Siripala's rectum. He explained to the doctors what had happen. The cellphone and headsets were then removed.

Kodippilli told media outlets that the prison system is in the process of getting body and parcel scanners to prevent further smuggling of phones into the prison. A cellphone signal block has been installed at the prison.

In November, at least 27 inmates at Welikade Prison were killed during a prison takeover sparked by guards and the military going into the prison doing a cell by cell search for drugs and cellphones. The prison holds about 4,500 inmates.