Potentially lethal meth-laced sweets found in NZ

Police in New Zealand have issued an urgent alert to the public after sweets containing a "potentially lethal" amount of methamphetamine were distributed by a charity.

The pineapple lollies – with packaging suggesting they were made by Malaysian confectionary company Rinda – were in a sealed retail-sized package donated by an unknown member of the public, according to the Auckland City Mission.

"We received an alert of concern by a food parcel recipient who said they had ‘funny tasting’ lollies," said the charity. "As a measure of safety, lollies still on site were tested by NZ Drug Foundation [and] tests confirmed that the lollies tested contained potentially lethal levels of methamphetamine. We also contacted the NZ Police who came immediately to our site."

Media reports suggest they may have inadvertently been sent to up to 400 people in food parcels. The motivation for the adulteration remains unclear, with some speculating that the sweets may have been used as a way to smuggle illicit drugs across borders. Given the methamphetamine content, the sweets had a street value of around NZ$1,000 (roughly $600) per candy.

One of the sweets contained 3g of methamphetamine, equivalent to around 300 typical doses of the drug. At least three people, including a child, have sought medical attention in connection with the incident but none are thought to have been hospitalised, according to a BBC report.

Rinda general manager Steven Teh said in a statement that the company recognise the seriousness of this situation and understands the concerns it raises.

"Our company is dedicated to ensuring that our products meet the highest safety and regulatory standards," he said. "We will work closely with law enforcement and relevant authorities to address this issue and protect the integrity of our brand."