Sweet Surprise: New Zealand Food Bank Accidentally Delivers Meth Candy in Food Parcels
In a shocking incident, a New Zealand charity working with homeless people in Auckland inadvertently distributed candies containing potentially lethal doses of methamphetamine in its food parcels. The Auckland City Mission, which received the sweets as a donation from a member of the public, has since launched an urgent recall effort, contacting up to 400 recipients to retrieve the dangerous treats.
The candies, pineapple-flavored and deceptively wrapped, contained solid blocks of methamphetamine with a dose up to 300 times stronger than a typical user would consume. The New Zealand Drug Foundation, which first tested the sweets, warned that such high levels could be fatal. Three people who consumed the candies were treated in the hospital but have since been discharged.
According to Ben Birks Ang, a spokesperson for the New Zealand Drug Foundation, disguising drugs as ordinary goods is a common smuggling tactic, raising concerns that more of these tainted candies could be circulating throughout the country. With a street value of NZ$1,000 (approximately $608) per candy, it is believed that the donation was likely accidental rather than a targeted attack. Authorities are continuing efforts to recover the remaining parcels and prevent any further harm.
