One of NSW's most dangerous prisoners Bassam Hamzy has been linked to the discovery of a mobile phone within the state's highest security jail.
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The seven-centimetre-long phone was found concealed within the spine of a book in the library of Goulburn SuperMax prison on Thursday.
Fairfax Media understands prison staff made the discovery following a tip-off and that the phone is linked to Hamzy - a convicted killer who started the notorious street gang Brothers 4 Life while behind bars.
It is understood that the phone is yet to undergo analysis to determine how long it had been inside the jail as well as how often and who it was used to contact. Its discovery, and links to an extremist in Hamzy, is also believed to be of interest to national security agencies.
He is classified as an extreme-high risk inmate and is in SuperMax after he was caught with a mobile phone in his jail cell in 2008 while being held at Lithgow prison.
On that occasion, between May and June of that year, Hamzy was detected making up to 450 calls a day.
The Brothers 4 Life gang leader used the phone to direct the supply of a massive amount of drugs between Sydney and Melbourne, as well as orchestrating the intimidation of others.
The mobile phone was also passed around his cell block using dental floss.
Corrective Services NSW said on Thursday it would launch "a top-level security and intelligence investigation" into how this phone was smuggled into SuperMax.
"This is absolutely unacceptable and we will be investigating this incident fully using our top Security Operations team from the Security and Intelligence Unit," NSW Corrective Services Commissioner Peter Severin said.
Mr Severin said the mobile phone could have "put the safety and good order of the [jail] at risk" had it not been uncovered by detection dog K9 Ivy and her handler.
Corrective Services Minister David Elliott said that contraband in prisons was an ongoing challenge worldwide.
"The message is clear: if you smuggle contraband into the prison system then we will find it and you will be punished," Mr Elliott said.
Following Thursday's discovery, prison staff conducted a strip search of all inmates, cells and inmate property.
Corrective Services NSW said a radio with modifications to its internal wiring was also uncovered in the search.
