NEW ZEALAND FOOD BANK DISTRIBUTES METH FILLED CANDY

A New Zealand charity working with homeless people in Auckland unknowingly distributed candies filled with a potentially lethal dose of methamphetamine in its food parcels after the sweets were donated by a member of the public.

In this photo provided by the NZ Drug Foundation, a pineapple flavored candy filled with a potentially lethal dose of methamphetamine is displayed in Auckland, New Zealand, Tuesday, Aug. 13, 2024. (Shaun Hill/NZ Drug Foundation via AP)

The Auckland  City Mission said that on Wednesday night, staff had started to contact up to 400 people to track down parcels that could contain the sweets, which were solid blocks of meth enclosed in candy wrappers.

Authorities have confirmed that three people were treated in hospital after consuming them, but were later discharged.

According to the New Zealand Drug Foundation, each candy contained up to 300 times the level someone would usually take and could be lethal.

Disguising drugs as innocuous goods is a common cross-border smuggling technique and more of the candies might have been distributed throughout New Zealand.

Ben Birks Ang, a Foundation spokesperson, said the sweets had a street value of NZ$1,000 ($608) per candy, which suggested the donation by an unknown member of the public was accidental rather than a deliberate attack, Birks Ang said.

Source: apnews.com