Three individuals were treated at an Auckland hospital after unintentionally ingesting narcotics with doses up to 300 times higher than normal.
A shocking revelation emerged on Wednesday when a food bank in New Zealand was found to have distributed candies laced with potentially deadly amounts of methamphetamine in its food parcels.
The Auckland City Mission charity disclosed that they are in the process of contacting around 400 individuals to locate parcels that may contain these dangerous sweets, which resembled solid blocks of methamphetamine disguised as candy.
Three people required hospital treatment after consuming these narcotic-laced candies, which were donated by a member of the public, as reported by authorities in New Zealand.
Tests revealed that each sweet contained methamphetamine levels up to 300 times the usual dosage, posing a significant risk of lethality, according to the New Zealand Drug Foundation.
Ben Birks Ang, a spokesperson for the foundation, mentioned that concealing drugs in this manner is a common tactic for smuggling across borders, indicating that more of these harmful sweets could be circulating throughout the country.
Valued at NZ$1,000 ($608) per candy, the donation to the food bank was likely accidental rather than intentional, as per Birks Ang.
Related Stories
Initial investigations suggest that this incident was likely part of a poorly executed smuggling attempt, yet the full extent of the operation remains unclear, according to Detective Inspector Glenn Baldwin.
While 16 of the tainted sweets have been recovered, the authorities are unsure of the total quantity in circulation.
Helen Robinson from the Auckland City Mission mentioned that eight families, including at least one child, reported trying the contaminated treats since Tuesday, noting that the unpleasant taste led most to spit them out immediately.
As per Robinson, the charity’s food bank solely accepts donations of commercially packaged food, which is how the pineapple sweets, bearing the label of Malaysian brand Rinda, were dropped off within the last six weeks.
The Auckland City Mission was alerted on Tuesday by a food bank user who described the candy as “strange-tasting.”
Upon sampling some of the remaining candies, staff members immediately contacted the authorities, with one employee requiring hospitalization after trying one.
Rinda Food Industries issued a statement acknowledging that their candies may have been misused and pledged to cooperate with the authorities.
General Manager Steven Teh emphasized that the company does not endorse or utilize illegal substances in their products.
Methamphetamine is typically found in the form of a white, odorless, bitter-tasting crystalline powder that readily dissolves in water or alcohol.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
