Police recovered 19 sets of cell phones during a search conducted at the Saptari District Prison in Rajbiraj on Friday. Of them, eight sets had SIM cards.

On Friday morning, a joint team comprising Nepal Police and Armed Police Force personnel conducted the search inside the prison in coordination with the prison administration.

Saptari police chief, SSP Sharad Oli, said investigation will be conducted into crime cases reported in the district after tracing the calls made from the cell phones. Police suspect the cell phones might have been used for extortion purposes.

Security sources say the entry of such a large number of cell phones into the prison indicate security lapses.

Sources claim the search was conducted based on a tip off that many inmates in the jail had been extorting commoners and businessmen by using cell phones. Police had recovered cell phones from the prison in the past as well.