Convict concealed prison drugs stash in egg and balloons

A shoplifter smuggled nearly £4,000 worth of drugs into jail by hiding six balloons and a Kinder Egg internally.

Karl Simpson’s huge stash of heroin and cannabis resin was discovered after he was made to use a special toilet.

Simpson had smuggled the drugs into maximum security Perth prison after appearing earlier the same day at Forfar Sheriff Court to be sentenced.

Depute fiscal John Malpass told Perth Sheriff Court: “He was convicted of shoplifting and has a lengthy set of previous convictions, mainly for theft and related offences.

“He was put in the segregation and reintegration unit’s cell seven, which has a toilet trap system which holds on to waste disposed of by prisoners in a cell.

“He was asked if he had any illicit substances within the prison as officers had been informed he might be concealing drugs internally.

“He replied ‘no’ but he appeared anxious. Prison officers carried out a search of the toilet trap and found several items.

“There was one Kinder Egg containing an unknown article, six pieces of a substance wrapped in what appeared to be balloons, and one unknown, dark-coloured substance.”

Mr Malpass said the heroin had a prison value of £3,500 and the cannabis resin was valued at £250.

He told the court it was clear from the quantity of drugs involved that Simpson had smuggled the stash into Perth prison with the clear intention of supplying to others.

Simpson, 28, from Forfar, admitted being concerned in the supply of heroin and cannabis resin inside Perth prison on March 12 2017.

Sheriff Gillian Wade jailed him for 20 months and said: “Clearly you have a long history of substance misuse.

“This was a class A drug in a custodial setting, which is an aggravating factor.

“You knew the rules, because you have been in prison often enough.”