Windsor man pleads guilty in smuggler’s surprise case
Brought marijuana, cocaine and other drugs into jail using Kinder eggs
A Windsor, Ont., man pleaded guilty Thursday to six charges in connection with a scheme to smuggle drugs into the city’s jail inside plastic Kinder Surprise eggs hidden in his rectum.
Douglas Hines, 27, pleaded guilty to six of the 27 drug-trafficking and breach-related charges he faced before Ontario Court Judge Lloyd Dean, and his guilty plea was followed by a sentencing hearing.
Federal drug prosecutor Christine Malott told court that Windsor police received permission from a judge in July 2013 to intercept telephone communications between three people, one of whom was in the Windsor jail at the time.
Hines, who had a criminal record and been ordered not to consume alcohol, was the mule in the scheme. He was to consume alcohol in public while the eggs were concealed inside him with the goal of being arrested, court was told.
“Hines was rewarded with spending money, drugs and prostitutes,” Malott said.
The drugs were hidden inside plastic containers that normally hold the toy inside a chocolate Kinder Surprise egg.
On July 29, 2013, at 7:35 a.m. Hines was observed by police in the area of Chatham and Ferry Sts. with a bottle of vodka, which he attempted to pour out on the ground when spotted by police.
He was arrested for breaching his alcohol conditions and spent a short period of time in custody.
It is believed, based on inter- cepted telephone communications, that while at the Windsor jail on that occasion, he smuggled in three eggs believed to contain marijuana, crack cocaine and crystal methamphetamine.
After his release, on Aug. 23 at 11:55 p.m., Hines was arrested for public intoxication at a Tim Hortons in Windsor while leaving the washroom. His face was bloodied.
After this arrest, police officers searched Hines and found two plastic eggs in his front pocket that he had neglected or forgot to put inside him. They were sealed with tape and wrapped in condoms. Inside the eggs was powdered cocaine, court was told.
This time, Hines was taken to a Windsor police cell that had no running water or a toilet.
Hines eventually excreted four blue plastic eggs containing marijuana, ketamine, cocaine and an anabolic steroid.
“Hines was involved in the planning of the smuggling and the arrest,” Malott said.
His sentencing hearing resumes Sept. 11.