Methamphetamine detected in candy distributed by charity

New Zealand authorities announced on Wednesday, August 14, that an investigation is underway in New Zealand after large doses of methamphetamine were discovered in several sweets distributed by a charity.

New Zealand police said on Wednesday, August 14, that pineapple sweets containing lethal amounts of methamphetamine were found in food parcels distributed by a New Zealand charity.

Authorities said the investigation was ongoing and that they were treating the case “as a priority given the risks to the public.”

The New Zealand Medicines Agency said a sample taken from the white candy contained methamphetamine.

The candy could have been served anonymously.

The candy was tested when the person felt strange after starting to eat it, noting its bitter taste.

The medication in question contained about three grams of methamphetamine, up to 300 times the dose that users would normally consume, said Sarah Helm, a spokeswoman for the New Zealand Medicines Association.

“It is extremely dangerous to ingest this amount of methamphetamine and can be fatal,” Sarah Helm added, urging people who received the sweets from the charity not to eat them. The sweets were allegedly donated anonymously, according to the Oakland City Mission charity, in sealed, branded packages.

The New Zealand Medicines Association has warned that methamphetamine can cause chest pain, increased heart rate, seizures, delirium and loss of consciousness.