- A charity in Auckland, New Zealand, was unknowingly distributing methamphetamine that it had received as donations from members of the public inside food parcels.
- The New Zealand Drug Foundation reported that each candy contains 300 times the normal amount of methamphetamine, making it potentially lethal.
- Authorities say the candy’s high street value makes it likely the donation was accidental, rather than a targeted attack.
A charity helping homeless people in Auckland, New Zealand, was distributing donated sweets in food parcels, unaware that they were filled with lethal doses of methamphetamine.
The Auckland City Mission said on Wednesday that staff had begun contacting up to 400 people to track down packages that may have contained sweets – solid chunks of methamphetamine wrapped in candy wrappers. New Zealand authorities said three people had taken it and were treated in hospital before being released.
Each candy contains up to 300 times the amount of methamphetamine a normal person would ingest, which can be lethal, according to the New Zealand Drug Foundation, a drug testing and policy organization that first tested the candy.
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Foundation spokesman Ben Birks-Ang said disguising drugs as harmless items was a common method of cross-border smuggling and many more candies could have been distributed across New Zealand.
In this photo provided by the New Zealand Drug Foundation, pineapple-flavored candies filled with lethal doses of methamphetamine are displayed in Auckland, New Zealand on August 13, 2024. (Shaun Hill/New Zealand Drug Foundation via The Associated Press)
Burks Ang said the sweets had a steep street value of $608 each, suggesting the donations by unidentified members of the public were accidental rather than a deliberate attack.
Detective Glenn Baldwin said authorities’ “initial understanding” is that the incident is likely a failed importation scheme, but the nature and scale of the operation is unclear. Officers have recovered 16 pieces of candy, but it’s unclear how many are in circulation, he said.
City missionary Helen Robinson said at least eight families, including one child, have reported eating the tainted candy since Tuesday, with most immediately spat it out because of its “horrible” taste.
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Robinson said the charity’s food bank only accepts donations of commercially available food in sealed packages. The pineapple candies, labelled with Malaysian brand Linda, came in retail-sized bags and “that’s what they looked like when they were donated,” he added.
The Oakland City Mission was notified on Tuesday by a food bank client reporting “funny tasting” candy. Staff members tasted some of the remaining candy and immediately contacted authorities. Baldwin said one staff member was taken to hospital after sampling the candy, adding that a child and “young people” were also treated at the hospital and released.
Robinson said the candy was donated over the past six weeks, though it’s unclear how much candy was distributed at the time and how much was made with methamphetamine.
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In a written statement, Linda said it learned of the “potential misappropriation” of its candy through reports in New Zealand and would cooperate with authorities.
“At Linda Food Industries we want to make it clear that we do not use or condone the use of any illegal drugs in our products,” general manager Steven Teh said.
Methamphetamine is a powerful and highly addictive stimulant that affects the central nervous system. It occurs as an odorless, bitter-tasting, white, crystalline powder that dissolves easily in water and alcohol.
