Mumbai, August 14: The Auckland City Mission charity of New Zealand, which donates parcels of essentials to New Zealanders who cannot afford food, mistakenly distributed pineapple candies laced with a potentially lethal dose of the drug Methamphetamine on August 12. The sweets were donated anonymously to the charity and hence, they were unaware of the adulteration of the candy.

As reported by the New Zealand Drug Foundation, these candies contained around 3 gm of Methamphetamine or Meth, which was 300 times higher than the level someone would usually consume (10-25 mg) and thus, were potentially lethal. It was the 'acrid and revolting' taste of the pineapple candies that let to the initial suspicions of contamination and people spat them out immediately, as even small doses of meth via touch or licks could deeply affect people.

Meth-Laced Candies Distributed by Charity in Auckland 

So far, eight families, including at least one child, have consumed the adulterated candies since their distribution. Three people - a child, a teenager and a charity worker - sought medical treatment after tasting the boiled sweets although no one was hospitalised, claimed Detective Inspector Glenn Baldwin from Auckland police. Mumbai: About 5,489 Kgs Illicit Drugs Seized in Multiple Cases, Disposed off by NCB (See Pics). 

The Charity’s Response to the Accident

The Auckland City Mission apologised profusely for the mistake and stated, "To say we are devastated is an understatement." Although the charity claimed to have never accept unsealed packages, these candies were allegedly delivered to them in retail bags with the label of a Malaysian brand. The police suggested no wrongdoing on the charity's part but rather connected it with international drug smuggling operations. ‘Cocaine Sharks’: High Levels of Drug Found in Brazilian Sharks, Know All About the Marine Predators.

These sweets, estimated to be worth around NZD 1,000 (USD 600) each, were suspected to be strong evidence that the donation was more accidental than a deliberate attack. These meth-laced sweets were allegedly linked to a larger cross-border drug smuggling syndicate. The police recovered 16 candies so far with no known estimate of the total candies in circulation in the city.

Ben Birks Ang, spokesman of the New Zealand Drug Foundation said that disguising drugs in everyday goods was a common drug smuggling technique. The police are tracking down around 400 potential people who might have consumed the drugged candy, as investigations go on.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Aug 14, 2024 06:40 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).