‘Cleverly’ disguised B.C. prison package contained meth, cellphone, steroids

The package was turned over to the Mission RCMP, who opened it to discover more than 300 grams of suspected methamphetamine, along with an iPhone, razor blades, bottles of steroids and assorted pills. (Handout)

A camouflaged package containing drugs and other contraband that was discovered in a British Columbia prison yard may have been dropped from a drone, investigators say.

Corrections officers at the Mission Institution in the Fraser Valley discovered the parcel, which was wrapped in real grass, on the prison grounds during morning rounds on April 9, according to the Mission RCMP.

Police say the “cleverly” disguised bubble-mailer was able to “seamlessly blend in with the grass inside the fenceline of the institution.”

The package was turned over to the Mission RCMP, who opened it to discover more than 300 grams of suspected methamphetamine, along with an iPhone, razor blades, bottles of steroids and assorted pills, the detachment said in a statement Tuesday.

“Corrections officers say that preventing contraband from entering the prison is an ongoing priority for them, and that the items seized could have had real safety implications for both inmates and staff,” the statement said.

“They also note that banned items such as illicit drugs sell for a much higher price inside correctional facilities, due to the added risk of getting them inside, so the interception of this package likely represents a significant loss of income for whomever was involved.”

The Correctional Service of Canada says it uses a variety of tools to prevent drugs from being smuggled into its prisons, including ion scanners and drug-detecting dogs to search buildings, personal property, inmates, and visitors.

Police are still investigating the case and said they will recommend charges against suspects on either side of the prison walls if they find enough evidence.

Mission Institution, which opened in 1977, is a joint medium-security and minimum-security facility, with the capacity to house 324 medium-security inmates and 216 minimum-security inmates, according to the correctional service.