A charity in New Zealand mistakenly distributed candy containing high doses of methamphetamine. The charity, Auckland City Mission, announced on its official website that the candy containing high doses of methamphetamine was donated to the charity by an anonymous person.
MOST OF THE ONES WHO CONSUMED IT SPIT OUT IMMEDIATELY
Inspector Glenn Baldwin said most people who consumed the donated candy had spat it out because it tasted “disgusting”, and that the issue had been reported to authorities after one person had alerted the charity to the candy’s taste.
3 PEOPLE WERE TAKEN TO HOSPITAL
Baldwin said three people, including the staff member who tasted the candy, were taken to hospital but were later discharged.
New Zealand Drug Foundation spokesman Ben Birks Ang said tests carried out by the foundation found the amount of methamphetamine in each lolly was up to 300 times what it should be, which could have fatal consequences.
THE VALUE OF EACH CANDY IS APPROXIMATELY 600 DOLLARS
Ang said concealing drugs in items such as sweets was a common cross-border smuggling technique, and that since the sweets were worth around NZ$1,000 (about $600) a piece, they believed it was an accident rather than a deliberate attack.
It is not yet clear how much of the candy donated in the last six weeks was distributed and how much of it contained methamphetamine.
SUGAR COMPANY ALSO MADE A STATEMENT
The company that produces the candies in question also announced in a statement that the company never accepted the use of illegal drugs in the products and that the candies “may have been used for the wrong purpose (after production).”
The company also noted that they will cooperate with the authorities.
Methamphetamine, a synthetic substance that has a powerful and highly addictive effect on the central nervous system, is usually in the form of a white, odorless, bitter-tasting crystalline powder that dissolves easily in water or alcohol. (AA)