Meth lollies Halloween warning: Police urge extra vigilance in Auckland over Rinda-brand sweets

• Police issue Halloween warning as methamphetamine disguised as lollies still believed to be in community.
• ‘Lollies’ of concern first found when inadvertently included in Auckland City Mission food parcel.
• Each sweet is 3g of pure meth, or 300 doses of the Class A drug.

Police are calling for extra vigilance in Auckland this Halloween as methamphetamine disguised as lollies is believed to still be in the community, saying it is vital parents know what to look out for.

Two months after the Auckland City Mission reported one of their food parcel recipients had inadvertently received a “funny tasting” lolly, there are an unaccounted number of the fake sweets still circulating.

Detective Inspector Glenn Baldwin told the Herald that police could now account for 61 blocks of pure methamphetamine disguised as Rinda-brand sweets, with police recovering 34. Baldwin earlier said police believed there were 75 lollies in the community in total.

Detective Inspector Glenn Baldwin holds up a photo of the Rinda-branded meth-laced lollies found in food parcels given to needy families. Photo / Alex Burton

“Ahead of Halloween, it is vital that the public are aware of the Rinda brand pineapple lollies and ensure if any are located, they are secured and handed over to police,” Baldwin said.

“Anyone who is in possession of these Rinda-branded lollies are urged to contact police immediately.

“Anyone who is concerned they may have consumed one of these lollies and is feeling unwell should go to their nearest healthcare provider urgently.”

Police have been trying to urgently track down the potentially lethal lollies in the community, lest another person consumes one.

Police have been asking anyone with a Rinda-brand lolly to phone 105 or 111 and quote file number 240813/5919.

Rinda lollies were found to contain methamphetamine. Photo / NZ Drug Foundation

As well as going to their nearest healthcare provider, anyone concerned they had eaten one of the “lollies” could also phone the national poison line on 0800 764 766.

Mission staff tried the supposed lollies after receiving a complaint, agreed they tasted odd and then began to “feel funny”.

In the following days, it was revealed Ronald McDonald House Charities (RMHC) and two families being cared for by the charity had received the lollies and fallen unwell. A staff member was hospitalised after trying one. RMHC received the parcels from the City Mission.

Baldwin said police had obtained security camera footage from the Auckland City Mission’s centre on Boston Rd in Grafton on August 19.

What the lollies look like with the wrapper removed. Photo / NZ Drug Foundation

Police have been aware of at least one person who has allegedly tried selling one of the lollies on Facebook Marketplace, and Baldwin has today reiterated his warning to those trying to fob them off.

“Dealing methamphetamine is a serious offence and we do not tolerate this whatsoever.”

There were eight police staff working on the investigation, dubbed Operation Tirade.

Baldwin said police would work with Customs and Interpol as the investigation focused on where the drugs came from and how they ended up with the City Mission.

Police have been in contact with Rinda, the Malaysia-based company in whose branding the methamphetamine was wrapped.

Each supposed lolly is actually a 3g block of meth. The Drug Foundation said this would be enough for 300 doses of the Class A drug.

Raphael Franks is an Auckland-based reporter who covers breaking news. He joined the Herald as a Te Rito cadet in 2022.

Sign up to The Daily H, a free newsletter curated by our editors and delivered straight to your inbox every weekday.