Police say a 40-year-old man has been arrested and charged with manslaughter in relation to the death of a 21-year-old in March. Photo: RNZ / Cole Eastham-Farrelly
A man has been arrested and charged with manslaughter in relation to the death of a 21-year-old who unknowingly drank from a beer can containing liquid methamphetamine.
Aiden Sagala died in Auckland Hospital in March after drinking from a beer can that he did not know contained high purity liquid methamphetamine.
Police said Sagala's tragic death had sparked a wider investigation - Operation Lavender - into an alleged methamphetamine importation operation.
That investigation had already seen numerous serious drugs charges laid and a large quantity of methamphetamine and other drugs recovered from a Manukau address, police said.
Police estimated the value of the drug seizure to be worth hundreds of millions of dollars.
Detective Inspector Glenn Baldwin of Auckland City CIB said further pathology and toxicology testing had now been completed and police today arrested a 40-year-old man and charged him with manslaughter.
The man, who was already before the court as part of Operation Lavender, was expected to appear in the Auckland District Court later today.
Police said Sagala's family had been informed of the development and were being supported.
Enquiries into the wider importation investigation were ongoing, Baldwin said, and police could not rule out further charges being laid.