Food charity apologises for handing out METH-laced sweets that left three people including a child needing medical treatment

By OLIVIA CHRISTIE, NEWS REPORTER

Published: | Updated:

A food charity has apologised after it unwittingly handed out pineapple-flavoured sweets that were laced with potentially lethal amounts of methamphetamine.

Three people - a child, a teenager and a charity worker - sought medical treatment after eating the Rinda-branded boiled candies, although none are in hospital. 

The Auckland City Mission, a charity that donates parcels of essentials to New Zealanders who cannot afford food, said they were 'devastated' by the incident. 

The organisation first became aware of the issue on Tuesday afternoon when some recipients complained about the foul-tasting sweets.

It is believed 300 to 400 people might have received the parcels, and work is under way 'with urgency' to contact them. 

There is no suggestion of any wrongdoing by the charity, Detective Inspector Glenn Baldwin from Auckland police told reporters. 

Three people - a child, a teenager and a charity worker - sought medical treatment after eating the Rinda-branded boiled candies, although none are in hospital

Three people - a child, a teenager and a charity worker - sought medical treatment after eating the Rinda-branded boiled candies, although none are in hospital

The NZ Drug Foundation (NZDF) drug-tested a white lolly found in a Rinda-branded pineapple sweet after a person complained of a sour taste and 'feeling unusual' after trying them

The NZ Drug Foundation (NZDF) drug-tested a white lolly found in a Rinda-branded pineapple sweet after a person complained of a sour taste and 'feeling unusual' after trying them

The sweets, which were donated by an unknown member of the public, were tested by the New Zealand Drug Foundation (NZDF) charity. 

They were found to contain a potentially lethal three grams of methamphetamine.

'A common dose to swallow is between 10-25mg so this contaminated lolly contained up to 300 doses,' NZDF executive director Sarah Helm said.

'Swallowing that much methamphetamine is extremely dangerous and could result in death.'

Police believe the candies were the byproduct of an international drug trafficking operation and have called for them to be handed over to the authorities. 

They are also investigating how the candies entered the country, Detective Baldwin added.

Auckland City Mission chief executive Helen Robinson said: 'The mission only accepts commercially manufactured food and the lollies appeared as such when they were donated.

'It was a highly appropriate thing for our staff to believe this was a safe lolly. It was in a sealed, contained package and the lollies were individually wrapped.'

Ms Robinson said she knew of eight families affected. No illness or injuries have been reported.

The NZDF said the discovery of the sweets justified their legalised drug-checking system and communication networks.

Deputy director Ben Birks-Ang said more meth-laced candies could be out there, suggesting they may be part of a botched drug trade.

'We know that disguising substances as something else to smuggle it is common internationally,' he said.

New Zealand

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