A man has been charged for allegedly importing blocks of methamphetamine into New Zealand, disguised as lollies.
Blocks of pressed methamphetamine — wrapped and labelled as Malaysian Rinda pineapple lollies — were unknowingly handed out in Auckland City Mission food parcels last year, prompting some to seek medical attention after tasting the lollies.
Detective Sergeant Ilona Walton said an investigation by the National Organised Crime Group identified a 32-year-old man, who was charged with importing 3g blocks of meth, wrapped in Rinda Packaging.
Police said there was “insufficient evidence” at this time to link the person arrested to the meth distributed at the city mission.
The accused was expected to appear in the Auckland District Court next April.
Auckland was thrown into a public health emergency last year after someone who received a parcel from the mission reported one of the lollies tasted funny.
An investigation was launched, and police recovered 34.5 lollies to date.
“Six individuals who received food parcels containing ‘Rinda’ lollies reported throwing lollies away, which were not recovered by police,” Walton said.
“The total amount of lollies reported to have been disposed of by food parcel recipients is 15. However, there are other quantities of lollies that Auckland City Mission staff threw away, before becoming aware that these were ‘meth lollies’.”
Several people tried to eat the lollies, unaware that they were actually methamphetamine.
Each block contained around 300 doses of the drug, an amount considered fatal.
It resulted in the factory that produced Rinda lollies being inspected by Malaysian health authorities.
Walton acknowledged the Malaysian company cooperated fully with the investigation.
“At this stage, police do not believe that the meth lollies were deliberately given to the Auckland City Mission in attempt to cause harm to vulnerable members of the community,” Walton said.
“This belief is based on accounts provided by persons who inadvertently tasted a “meth lolly” reporting that due to the chemical taste their immediate reflex action was to spit it out immediately.
“This belief is further supported by the high street value of the methamphetamine contained in the methamphetamine lollies.”
