Doesn't there have to be some kind of power source for it to receive any signal? Perhaps they're using some other type of battery for the IED?
"The cell phones can be used as detonators. Batteries can be disassembled and used to make methamphetamine. Obviously there's something wrong here," Caro Police Chief Ben Page said.
The men told police they were buying the phones, which cost about $20 and come with a charger, taking them out of their packaging and selling them to a wholesaler in Texas for about $38 without the charger.