The Investment Whisperer
  • Business
  • Politics
  • Investing
  • World
  • Business
  • Politics
  • Investing
  • World

The Investment Whisperer

World

High doses of meth found in candy handed out to over 300 families in New Zealand

by admin August 14, 2024
August 14, 2024
High doses of meth found in candy handed out to over 300 families in New Zealand

A charity working with homeless people in Auckland, New Zealand unknowingly distributed candies filled with potentially lethal doses of methamphetamine in its food parcels after the sweets were donated by a member of the public.

The Auckland City Mission told reporters on Wednesday that staff had started to contact up to 400 people to track down parcels that could contain the sweets — which were solid blocks of methamphetamine enclosed in candy wrappers. New Zealand’s police have opened a criminal investigation.

The amount of methamphetamine in each candy was up to 300 times the level someone would usually take and could be lethal, according to the New Zealand Drug Foundation — a drug checking and policy organization, which first tested the candies.

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

Ben Birks Ang, a foundation spokesperson, said disguising drugs as innocuous goods was a common cross-border smuggling technique and more of the candies might have been distributed throughout New Zealand.

The sweets had a high street value of NZ$ 1,000 ($608) per candy, which suggested the donation by an unknown member of the public was accidental rather than a deliberate attack, Birks Ang said.

The City Missioner, Helen Robinson, said eight families, including at least one child, had reported consuming the contaminated candies since Tuesday. No one was hospitalized and Robinson said the “revolting” taste meant most had immediately spat them out.

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

Auckland City Mission was alerted Tuesday by a food bank client who reported “funny-tasting” candy. Staff tasted some of the remaining candies and immediately contacted the authorities.

The candies had been donated sometime in the past six weeks, Robinson said. It was not clear how many had been distributed in that time and how many were made of methamphetamine.

Some of those who had received the food parcels were clients of the charity’s addiction service and the news that drugs had been distributed had provoked distress.

“To say that we are devastated in an understatement,” Robinson said.

Rinda did not immediately respond to a request for comment by The Associated Press.

This post appeared first on cnn.com

0
FacebookTwitterGoogle +Pinterest
previous post
Bangladesh court orders murder probe into ousted former leader Sheikh Hasina
next post
A Gazan father went to register his twins’ births. They were killed in an Israeli airstrike, hospital officials say

Related Posts

Rare skin fossil is oldest by 130 million...

January 13, 2024

Ancient bricks baked when Nebuchadnezzar II was king...

December 29, 2023

Norway parliament approves highly controversial deep sea mining

January 10, 2024

Virginia Giuffre, prominent Jeffrey Epstein sex abuse survivor...

April 26, 2025

A Houthi missile was just seconds from hitting...

February 3, 2024

‘Very dangerous’: Zelensky on Trump’s claim he could...

January 22, 2024

Belgium to investigate suspected Russian interference in EU...

April 14, 2024

Israel’s kibbutz Be’eri became the symbol of Hamas’...

October 6, 2024

Hamas’ brutal new tactics signal new phase in...

September 4, 2024

US and allies push for Israel-Hamas ceasefire to...

August 17, 2024

    Stay updated with the latest news, exclusive offers, and special promotions. Sign up now and be the first to know! As a member, you'll receive curated content, insider tips, and invitations to exclusive events. Don't miss out on being part of something special.


    By opting in you agree to receive emails from us and our affiliates. Your information is secure and your privacy is protected.

    Categories

    • Business (1,432)
    • Investing (3,523)
    • Politics (4,756)
    • World (4,659)
    • About us
    • Contact us
    • Privacy Policy
    • Terms & Conditions

    Disclaimer: TheInvestmentWhisperer.com, its managers, its employees, and assigns (collectively “The Company”) do not make any guarantee or warranty about what is advertised above. Information provided by this website is for research purposes only and should not be considered as personalized financial advice. The Company is not affiliated with, nor does it receive compensation from, any specific security. The Company is not registered or licensed by any governing body in any jurisdiction to give investing advice or provide investment recommendation. Any investments recommended here should be taken into consideration only after consulting with your investment advisor and after reviewing the prospectus or financial statements of the company.

    Copyright © 2024 TheInvestmentWhisperer.com | All Rights Reserved