Charity accidentally distributes drug-laced candy to around 400 people: 'Funny tasting'

A New Zealand charity issued an apology after police recovered as many as 400 pieces of candy laced with "potentially lethal levels of methamphetamine" distributed in food parcels.

"We don’t know how widespread these contaminated lollies are, so we recommend not eating any Rinda brand pineapple lollies if you have them," the New Zealand Drug Foundation (NZDF) wrote in a statement on its website. "If you or someone you know has eaten one and feels unwell, call 111 immediately."

Aukland City Mission contacted authorities after one person who received the candy said it was "funny tasting." At least three people, including a child, needed medical attention after eating the candy, though none went to hospital as of Wednesday. 

The New Zealand Drug Federation estimated the street value of each meth-laced candy at around $600. Police recovered 29 of the candies, but did not know how many remained in circulation.

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Symptoms of consuming the candy may include chest pain, heart palpitations, seizures, hyperthermia, delirium or loss of consciousness, the charity warned. The candy may have an "acrid and revolting" taste. 

Photos of the methamphetamine-laced candy both in a wrapper and unwrapped. (New Zealand Drug Foundation)

"The public can be assured we are treating this matter extremely seriously," Detective Inspector Glenn Baldwin said during a news conference. 

The charity has worked to track down as many of the packages as they can, saying the candies contained potentially lethal doses of methamphetamine. It received the candy as part of an anonymous donation sometime in the past six weeks in a sealed retail package. 

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"A common dose to swallow is between 10-25mg, so this contaminated lolly contained up to 300 doses," Sarah Helm of the NZDF said. "Swallowing that much methamphetamine is extremely dangerous and could result in death."

A view across the Waitemata Harbour of Auckland, New Zealand, on July 3, 2024. (Fiona Goodall/Bloomberg via Getty Images)

The group distributes around 50,000 food parcels a year and only includes commercially manufactured food, The New York Times reported. Individual packages handed out with the contaminated candy could contain just a few pieces or dozens.  

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Ben Birks Ang, a foundation spokesperson, told The Associated Press that disguising drugs as innocuous goods is a common cross-border smuggling technique and more of the candies might have been distributed throughout New Zealand.

The meth was disguised in pineapple candies, stamped with the label of Malaysian brand Rinda. Police currently believe that the delivery happened by mistake, calling it a smuggling ploy gone wrong. 

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"We want to make it clear that Rinda Food Industries does not use or condone the use of any illegal drugs in our products," general manager Steven Teh said in a written statement to the media after learning of the "misused" candy through media reports.