Glenn Baldwin, a detective inspector in Auckland Police, said there was “nothing at first glance that would make [the sweets] seem dangerous” but they were “100 per cent meth”.
“If a child eats one of these, they could be in significant danger,” Mr Baldwin said.
He said investigators would work with Interpol and customs to trace the origin of the drugs, which were inside wrappers marked with Malaysian brand Rinda.
Winter care package
Helen Robinson, the chief executive of Auckland City Mission, said suspicions were first raised on Tuesday after one recipient of the charity’s winter care package reported that the supposedly pineapple-flavoured confectionery had a strange, bitter flavour.
Mission staff then sucked on a sweet and began to “feel funny” after reporting an “acrid and revolting” taste, Ms Robinson said.
That was because it was actually 30g of the highly addictive drug, tests by the NZ Drug Foundation later revealed.
Ms Robinson said: “To say we are devastated is an understatement… It has been deeply distressing for us and for anyone who may have been a recipient of those [sweets].”