Limerick criminal Dessie Dundon, one of the five men convicted of crime boss Kieran Keane's murder in 2003, has been caught with two mobile phones in prison and is now facing an additional five years behind bars.

During a search of Dundon's cell in Wheatfield prison last week, officers found two mobile phones. He has been transferred to Cork prison for 28 days as a punishment but has not yet been charged.

It has been an offence since last summer to possess or use a mobile phone in jail. Inmates in breach of the new laws face up to five extra years in jail and a €10,000 fine.

There are concerns that Dundon, from Ballinacurra Weston in Limerick, was using the phone to direct criminal activity. The law was introduced after gardaí and prison intelligence established that some criminals were continuing to run their illegal empires from prison.

Dundon is a key member of the McCarthy-Dundon gang in Limerick. Anthony 'Noddy' McCarthy, also convicted for the murder of Keane, was involved in a separate incident in Wheatfield prison last week. He threatened a prison officer on Monday and as a result was transferred from Wheatfield to Portlaoise prison.

Dundon's brother Wayne is serving a seven-year jail term for threatening to kill a barman who refused to serve his sister.

Last year, crime boss John Gilligan was charged with possession of a mobile phone in Portlaoise prison.

The problem of phones in jails became an issue after armed robber John Daly rang RTé's Liveline programme from his Portlaoise prison cell.

His call brought an unprecedented clampdown by prison authorities and in a two-day search officers uncovered phones, Sim cards, chargers, drugs, syringes, homemade alcohol, plasma TV sets, a DVD player and two budgies in the prison.