Sydney, Australia, Aug 14 (EFE).- At least three people had been treated in New Zealand hospitals as of Wednesday after it was discovered candies laced with “potentially lethal levels of methamphetamine” were distributed in charity food parcels.
The Rinda-brand pineapple candies were donated by an unknown member of the public in July, in a “sealed retail sized package,” said anti-poverty charity Auckland City Mission, which unknowingly distributed the sweets in food parcels over recent weeks.
After a recipient reported the “funny tasting” sweets on Tuesday, Mission staff took the remainder on site to the New Zealand Drug Foundation for testing, where the initial sample showed it was 100 percent methamphetamine. This was later corroborated by police testing.
“Tests confirmed immediately that the lollies… had potentially lethal levels of methamphetamine,” Auckland City Mission’s Helen Robinson said in a press conference on Wednesday, adding that the charity was working to track down potential parcel recipients.
“To say we are devastated is an understatement,” she added.
NZ Drug Foundation Executive Director Sarah Helm said in a statement that the sweet first tested contained approximately 3 grams of methamphetamine.
“A common dose to swallow is between 10-25mg, so this contaminated lolly contained up to 300 doses,” she said. “Swallowing that much methamphetamine is extremely dangerous and could result in death.”
Detective Inspector Glenn Baldwin of Auckland Police said in a press conference on Wednesday that three people had been taken to hospital as a precaution after tasting the sweets – a charity worker, and a child and a teenager, who were all OK.
He added that police had been contacted by a number of people who were in possession of the sweets, including a pensioner in Auckland who had had “one lolly, he tasted the other lolly, and again experienced the unpleasant taste.”
At least 16 sweets had been recovered so far, but it was unknown how many were out there. He urged anyone with the yellow-wrapped candies to come forward.
“This is about safety and getting them out of circulation,” he said.
Baldwin said police had launched Operation Tirade and were investigating the origin of the candy haul with the “initial perception it has been imported into New Zealand.”
He said police had seen methamphetamine concealed in food products before, which was “deeply concerning” and that this “importation method is extremely dangerous.”
The sweets were wrapped in the labels of Malaysian brand Rinda, who told public broadcaster Radio New Zealand that the safety and wellbeing of its customers was its highest priority and that it 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,” it said. EFE
aus-nz
