A New Zealand food bank has accidentally sent off lollies laced with methamphetamine after a donor provided the sweets disguised as a harmless treat.
Auckland City Mission, the charity organisation got what they thought was pineapple-flavoured candy from a Malaysian company, Rinda. These were candies that looked real, sealed and legal, which were wrongly given out by the food bank. Helen Robinson of the City Mission stated “These were not meth-laced sweets, they were actual drugs.”
The candies which were laced with methamphetamine, had up to 300 times the normal dosage, the New Zealand Drug Foundation confirmed. The Foundation’s spokesperson Ben Birks Ang believes that more of these candies may have been distributed across the country, given that the high street value of the drugs was NZ$1,000 (approximately $608) per piece.
This is one of the many cases of drug trafficking in the form of consumer products. Past cases have included meth in coconut water, maple syrup and also in cooking oil.
The exact dimension of the distribution remains uncertain and the New Zealand Drug Foundation has now recommended to completely steer clear of pineapple candies.
Rinda Food Industries, the Malaysian candy brand, has come out in a public statement to state that they have no connection with the drugs. The company’s general manager Steven Teh condemned the use of drugs and promised the company’s cooperation with the investigation of the case.
Several people who took the candies complained of a funny taste after taking the candies. Thankfully, the people involved which include a member of staff at the food bank, a child and a young adult have been treated and discharged from the hospital.
In response to the incident, Auckland police have opened a case to investigate the source of the sweets as well as to try and find the rest of the contaminated candies. Detective Inspector Glenn Baldwin said that by Wednesday afternoon, the officers were able to confiscate 16 pieces of the candies.
The exact number of distributed candies is still under investigation, with possibilities ranging from a single packet of 20 to 30 pieces to several packets.
Inspector Baldwin stated, “The matter has been treated seriously.” Auckland City Mission and local authorities made efforts to deal with the issue and prevent any further harm.
