A recent analysis published in collaboration between CTV News and the Investigative Journalism Foundation examined how liquid methamphetamine is being trafficked from Canada to New Zealand, and how this contributed to the death of a 21‑year‑old man in Auckland.

The death occurred in March 2023, when New Zealander Aiden Sagala received cases of “Honey Bear Beer” as a gift from his boss. One day, he and his brother-in-law, Billy Anelusi, decided to try the beer, which was labeled as Canadian. However, unbeknownst to them, the cans contained liquid methamphetamine.

“We thought it was a new brand that’s about to start up in New Zealand and we saw the Canadian logo, the flag logo. It was like, oh cool, we thought it was from Canada, that’s pretty cool then,” Anelusi said in an interview.  After remarking that the “beer” tasted strange, Aiden became increasingly agitated and panicked, claiming he was dying and desperately calling for his mother, as his brother-in-law tried unsuccessfully to calm him down.

After Aiden consumed the methamphetamine-laced “beer,” he fell into a coma and died five days later from organ failure, leading to the uncovering of a large international drug smuggling operation involving Canada, the U.S., and India. Subsequently, New Zealand police uncovered 700 kilograms of liquid methamphetamine after investigating Aiden’s death, leading them to a storage unit linked to Baltej Singh, a supermarket owner accused of importing meth disguised as beverages, including 29,000 cans of “Honey Bear beer.” Aiden’s boss, Himatjit “Jimmy” Kahlon, was caught on camera removing cases from the unit and was accused of aiding in the process of turning liquid meth into crystal meth, inadvertently leaving some meth-laced cans behind.

Kahlon was charged with manslaughter in Aiden’s death, while Singh, a prominent businessman from Auckland, was charged with running the import operation. Aiden’s death triggered New Zealand’s largest methamphetamine seizure, and Detective Superintendent Greg Williams revealed that meth costs significantly more in New Zealand than anywhere else, with one kilogram priced at nearly $300,000.

In February 2025, he was sentenced to 21 years in prison for manslaughter and possession of methamphetamine for supply, and he is currently appealing that decision. Moreover, Singh was sentenced to 22 years for importing methamphetamine, possession of methamphetamine for supply, importing ephedrine, and possession of cocaine for supply.

 According to CTV News, over the period from 2020 to 2024, New Zealand seized more methamphetamines from Canada than from any other country in the world, with a total of 1,200 kilograms with an estimated street value of about $350 million. Moreover, international gangs, including Mexican cartels, have been increasingly using the Port of Vancouver as a launching point for shipments of methamphetamine bound for countries including New Zealand and Australia, where it can be sold for a higher price. As of now, no individuals in Canada have been charged in connection with the export of the liquid methamphetamine.