Drug-filled TV gets poor reception at prison

A federal inmate has been moved to a maximum-security prison after fentanyl, crystal meth, cannabis and cellphones were found hidden inside a television mailed to him in prison.

The large care package sent to Theshanth Thavakularatnam at Bath Institution, outside Kingston, Ont., included a TV and personal items. The return address on the package was his family's home, according to court documents.

It arrived last May. An examination of the items in the package by prison staff uncovered undeclared items hidden inside the TV.

The Correctional Service of Canada (CSC) described the find as “a large quantity of contraband,” but the specific weight of the fentanyl, crystal meth, and cannabis products and the number of cellphones is not known.

Prison officials assessed its “institutional value” at $50,000. Items tend to have a higher value inside prisons than on the street due to severe restrictions and the effect of supply and demand.

The find was reported to police and also triggered an internal review of Thavakularatnam's security classification, a rating that helps assess the level of danger and escape risk each inmate poses.

The contraband discovery “was a major source of concern for the Institution, as the illicit trafficking in these items can jeopardize the security and safety of CSC institution,” an internal prison record says.

The security review was not kind to Thavakularatnam.

He is serving a sentence of just under three years and 10 months for several gun and ammunition convictions, as well as armed robbery and aggravated assault. He was convicted in 2018.

The following year, he was granted day parole. In 2020, his parole was suspended after he assaulted a minor at a basketball game. A search of his halfway house found credit card information in the name of someone else.

Thavakularatnam admitted he was expecting the package with the TV, but said he didn't know there would be contraband inside.

The warden reclassified Thavakularatnam to a higher security level, requiring an involuntary transfer to a more secure facility.

Despite his objections, he was moved to Millhaven Institution, a maximum-security prison next door.