A charity in Auckland, New Zealand, has unintentionally handed out sweets laced with methamphetamine to about 400 people.
Auckland City Mission, an anti-poverty charity, received the sweets anonymously in a sealed package and included them in food parcels.
The charity was unaware of the danger when distributing the sweets. “We did not know that the lollies contained methamphetamine when they were distributed,” said a spokesperson for Auckland City Mission.
After some recipients reported that the sweets tasted strange, the charity tested the remaining sweets.
The New Zealand Drug Foundation confirmed that the sweets contained “potentially lethal levels of methamphetamine.” Each sweet could be worth around NZ$1000 ($601; £468), according to the foundation.
Helen Robinson, the chief executive of Auckland City Mission, explained, “Some of our staff members tried the sweets themselves and started to ‘feel funny’ afterwards.” She added, “We sent the remaining sweets for testing, which showed high levels of methamphetamine.”
The Drug Foundation found about 3 grams of methamphetamine in one sweet. Sarah Helm, the foundation’s head, warned, “A common dose to swallow is between 10-25 mg, so this contaminated lolly contained up to 300 doses. Swallowing such an amount is extremely dangerous and could result in death.”
Methamphetamine can cause severe health issues like chest pain, racing heart, seizures, and loss of consciousness. The charity distributes about 50,000 food parcels each year and only includes commercially manufactured food.
Police are urging anyone with sweets wrapped in Rinda’s yellow pineapple flavor packaging to contact them. Detective Inspector Glenn Baldwin said, “It’s vital the public are aware of these lollies and the hazard they present.”
Rinda, the Malaysian confectioner, stated, “We do not use or condone the use of any illegal drugs in our products,” and promised to cooperate with law enforcement.
Authorities have recovered 16 packets of the contaminated sweets so far. They are still trying to determine the full extent of the distribution. The charity is contacting people who received the sweets from July 1 onward to ensure safety.
Ben Birks Ang from the New Zealand Drug Foundation said, “Disclosing substances as something else to smuggle it into another area is common, so the incident is unlikely to be intentional.” The charity is also checking with other charities to prevent further issues.
Helen Robinson expressed her distress, “To say we are devastated is an absolute understatement.” She highlighted the importance of food security in New Zealand, where one in five people experience food insecurity.
