I wouldn't call it a "roll". There's an image in the sfstandard.com article. It is odd. Looks more suspicious than without it.

The text says "concealed in toilet paper" and the pic looks like a mostly empty toilet roll to me.

But maybe he didn't put a case on the device? I think if he'd 3D printed something or wrapped it in black tape it would have been a lot less visible.

I wonder if it was found when someone was trying to plug a cable into the TV?