Hard-core gangland types locked up in a maximum security Irish prison appear to have enlisted an innocent budgie smuggled snuggled in a woman visitor's, er, internal bits.

According to a report on breakingnews.ie, the small live parrot was found during a routine search for smuggled goods carried out by officers at Portlaoise prison, which houses Republican dissidents and gangland figures from Dublin and Limerick.

Other goods uncovered included eight mobile phones, three sim cards, some home-made booze, 150 tablets, and 30 syringes.

The prison is in County Laois in the middle of Ireland and houses a maximum of 203 lags.

It is not known what purpose the budgie could serve to some of Ireland's most notorious criminals, or how the bird survived the presumably claustrophobic ordeal.

The budgie was said to be speechless, but otherwise in rude health. And yes, El Reg made it to the end of the story without mentioning a bird in the bush once. Oops. ®

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