Meth lollies: 27 out of 61 drug-laced Rinda sweets never recovered, no arrests made

Rinda brand pineapple lollies with potentially lethal amount of methamphetamine were found in donations to the Auckland City Mission. Photo / NZ Drug Foundation

By Kate Green, RNZ

More than five months after the first meth lolly was found, police have confirmed the operation is winding down, with 27 out of 61 never recovered.

Lollies containing a “potentially lethal dose” of methamphetamine were unknowingly distributed in food parcels from the Auckland City Mission after they were donated by a member of the public in August 2024.

Detective Inspector Glenn Baldwin, from the Auckland City CIB, said on Thursday that police had largely wound down the investigation, with no arrests made.

He said based on the information available, police believed the lollies were shipped to an address in New Zealand and intended to be intercepted, but were inadvertently picked up and donated to the Auckland City Mission “by an unsuspecting, well-intentioned member of the public”.

Police had not identified that person, but Baldwin said there was nothing to suggest vulnerable communities were deliberately targeted.

The investigation, named Operation Tirade, was able to account for 61 meth blocks which had been disguised as Rinda-branded confectionery.

Thirty-four blocks were physically recovered by police and tested, and the preliminary results indicated the blocks were all pure methamphetamine.

Police had received no further credible reports of anyone being in possession or affected since late August 2024.

“Based off this, as well as enquiries carried out by investigators, we believe that the ongoing risk to public safety is minimal in this case,” Baldwin said.

Police also investigated two posts made on social media by people who claimed they had some of the lollies for sale, but found both posts were meant as jokes and “the pair were spoken to about the dangers of their actions”.

Baldwin said the Malaysian company, Rinda, whose branding was used on the lollies was “cooperative with [the] investigation”.

Given the quantity of blocks accounted for, police believed there were likely two packets of meth disguised as Rinda-branded confectionery, with a value of around $250,000.

By the numbers:

• Fifteen people tasted these lollies
• Six people reported experiencing side effects after tasting and spitting them out
• Three required medical treatment, but not hospitalisation
• Zero deaths
• Thirty-four blocks of methamphetamine seized
• Fifty-nine people/organisations spoken to who made donations in July 2024
• 102 volunteers spoken to about packaging the lollies

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