New Zealand food bank unknowingly distributed meth in candy

WELLINGTON, New Zealand — A homeless charity in Auckland, New Zealand, unknowingly distributed candy laced with a potentially lethal dose of methamphetamine in its food parcels after the sweets were donated by a member of the public.

Auckland City’s mission said on Wednesday staff had begun contacting up to 400 people to find packages that might contain the sweets – which were solid blocks of methamphetamine sealed in candy wrappers. Three people were treated in hospital after consuming them, New Zealand authorities said, but were later discharged.

The amount of methamphetamine in each candy was up to 300 times the level someone would normally take and could be lethal, according to the Drug Foundation of New Zealand – a drug policy and control organisation, who first tested the candies.

Ben Birks Ang, a spokesman for the Foundation, said disguising drugs as harmless goods was a common cross-border smuggling technique and more candy could have been distributed throughout New Zealand.

The sweets were worth a whopping US$1,000 ($608) per candy, suggesting the donation by an unknown member of the public was accidental rather than a deliberate attack, Birks Ang said.

Authorities’ “initial perceptions” were that the episode was likely an importation scheme gone wrong, Detective Inspector Glenn Baldwin said, but the nature and extent of the operation was unknown. Officers recovered 16 of the candies, but they don’t know how many are circulating, he said.

City missionary Helen Robinson said eight families, including at least one child, had reported eating the tainted candy since Tuesday. The “revolting” taste meant that most had spit them out immediately.

The charity’s food bank only accepts donations of commercially produced food in sealed packages, Robinson said. The pineapple candies, stamped with Malaysian brand Rinda’s label, “appeared as such when donated”, arriving in a retail-sized bag, she added.

Auckland City Mission was alerted on Tuesday by a food bank client who reported “funny tasting” candy. The staff tasted some of the remaining candy and immediately contacted the authorities. A staff member was taken to the hospital after sampling the candy, Baldwin said, adding that a child and a “young woman” were also treated at the hospital before being released.

The candy was donated sometime in the past six weeks, Robinson said. It was unclear how many had been distributed during that time and how many were made from methamphetamine.

Rinda said in a written statement that the company had learned through news reports in New Zealand that its candies “may have been misused” and would cooperate with authorities.

“We want to make it clear that Rinda Food Industries does not use or condone the use of any illegal drugs in our products,” said managing director Steven Teh.

Methamphetamine is a powerful, highly addictive stimulant that affects the central nervous system. It takes the form of a white crystalline powder, odorless, with a bitter taste, which dissolves easily in water or alcohol.

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