A charity in Auckland, New Zealand, unknowingly distributed methamphetamine-laced candies in its food parcels after receiving them as a donation from a member of the public. The Auckland City Mission, which is responsible for distributing these parcels, informed the media on Wednesday that they are now attempting to contact up to 400 people to retrieve the potentially dangerous sweets. The candies, which were solid blocks of methamphetamine wrapped in candy wrappers, were discovered to be extremely hazardous—containing up to 300 times the usual dose of the drug—by the New Zealand Drug Foundation, a drug-checking and policy organization that first tested them.

Methamphetamine, a potent and highly addictive stimulant, is typically a white, odorless crystalline powder. Ben Birks Ang, a spokesperson for the foundation, noted that concealing drugs within everyday items is a common method used in cross-border smuggling. He expressed concern that more of these candies could have been distributed across New Zealand.

Each candy had a street value of NZ$ 1,000 (approximately $608), leading Birks Ang to believe that the donation was likely accidental rather than a targeted attack. Helen Robinson, the City Missioner, reported that eight families, including at least one child, had ingested the tainted candies since Tuesday. Fortunately, none required hospitalization, as most individuals immediately spat out the candies due to their "revolting" taste.

Robinson emphasized that the charity only accepts commercially produced food in sealed packaging. The meth-laced pineapple candies, bearing the label of the Malaysian brand Rinda, appeared to meet this criterion when they were donated in a retail-sized bag. The charity became aware of the contamination after a client reported the unusual taste of the candy. The staff then tasted the remaining sweets and promptly notified the authorities.

The donation occurred sometime in the past six weeks, and it remains unclear how many methamphetamine-filled candies were distributed during that period. Robinson acknowledged that some of the food parcel recipients were clients of the charity’s addiction service, which has caused considerable distress. She expressed deep regret, stating, "To say that we are devastated is an understatement."