New Delhi:

In a joint operation of Delhi and Gujarat Police, at least 518 kilograms of cocaine were recovered from Gujarat’s Ankleshwar on Sunday and five people were arrested, officials said.

The officials said the new seizure was connected to the recovery of 700 kilograms of cocaine in Delhi. With this, 1,289 kg of cocaine and 40 kg of hydroponic marijuana, worth more than Rs 13,000 crore, have been recovered so far. The number of arrests in this connection has risen to 12.

Sources said this is believed to be the biggest-ever seizure by any agency in the country.

According to a Delhi Police officer, during investigations into the previous seizure of 700 kg of cocaine, the Special Cell found the drugs were brought from Avkar Drugs Limited Company in Ankleshwar.

On Sunday, a team of the Special Cell was sent to Gujarat and the cocaine was recovered from the company’s godown, the officer said, adding five people were also arrested from the spot.

Police said the accused are being further interrogated regarding the alleged international syndicate running from Dubai and the UK.

On October 2, the Special Cell seized more than 560 kg of cocaine and 40 kg of hydroponic marijuana estimated to be worth Rs 5,620 crore from a godown in south Delhi’s Mahipalpur and arrested four people. Two others were subsequently apprehended from Amritsar and Chennai.

Then in the second big drugs haul in a week, the Special Cell seized 208 kg of cocaine worth Rs 2,080 crore from a rented shop in west Delhi on Thursday.

On Thursday, police arrested one more person from Uttar Pradesh’s Hapur. He was the seventh person to be arrested in the case.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

Sydney:

A New Zealand charity apologised on Wednesday for distributing dozens of pineapple-flavoured candies that were found to be laced with potentially lethal amounts of methamphetamine.

The Auckland City Mission, that donates parcels of essentials to New Zealanders who cannot afford food, said it first became aware of the issue on Tuesday afternoon when some recipients complained about the foul-tasting candies.

Three people – a child, a teenager and a charity worker – sought medical treatment after tasting the boiled sweets, though none are currently in hospital, Detective Inspector Glenn Baldwin from Auckland police told reporters.

There was no suggestion of wrongdoing by the charity, he added.

“To say we are devastated is an understatement,” the Mission said in a statement.

The candy, which was donated by an unknown member of the public, was tested by the New Zealand Drug Foundation charity, which found they contained a potentially lethal 3 grams (0.1 oz)of methamphetamine.

“A common dose to swallow is between 10-25mg, so this contaminated lolly contained up to 300 doses,” said foundation Executive Director Sarah Helm.

Police believed the candies were the by product of an international drug trafficking operation and have called for them to be handed them over to the authorities. They are also investigating how the candies entered the country, Baldwin said.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)