A charity in Auckland, New Zealand, that supports homeless individuals, unintentionally distributed candies laced with a potentially lethal amount of methamphetamine in food packages. The Auckland City Mission, which provides essential parcels to those in need, issued an apology after discovering that some recipients had complained about the foul taste of the pineapple-flavored candies.
The issue came to light on Tuesday afternoon, when three people—a child, a teenager, and a charity worker—sought medical attention after tasting the tainted sweets. Fortunately, none of them are currently hospitalized, according to Detective Inspector Glenn Baldwin of the Auckland police. He emphasized that there was no suggestion of wrongdoing by the charity.
“To say we are devastated is an understatement,” the Mission expressed in a statement.
The candies, donated by an unknown individual, were tested by the New Zealand Drug Foundation, which revealed that they contained a potentially fatal 3 grams (0.1 oz) of methamphetamine. Foundation Executive Director Sarah Helm noted, “A common dose to swallow is between 10-25mg, so this contaminated lolly contained up to 300 doses.”
Authorities believe the candies were linked to an international drug trafficking operation and have urged anyone who received them to hand them over to the authorities. Baldwin mentioned that police are also investigating how the candies entered the country and that they are searching for up to 400 more individuals who may have received the contaminated treats.
“We need to round these up as quickly as we can. Drug importation is complex, and organized criminal groups use a range of measures and techniques to try and evade enforcement agencies, not only in New Zealand, but around the world,” Baldwin added .