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Drugs

Texas Drug Bust Uncovers 600-Pound Load of Meth Lollipops

Authorities believe the addictive drug—disguised as candy butterflies, flowers, and Star Wars characters—might have been targeted toward children.
Drew Schwartz
Brooklyn, US
Photo via the Harris County Sheriff's Department Facebook

Police outside of Houston confiscated nearly $1 million worth of methamphetamine on Tuesday, all 600 pounds of which came in the form of brightly-colored lollipops, KIAH reports.

The bust went down after some concerned residents of Spring, Texas, dialed 911 to report a suspected burglary at a neighboring house. When a few officers from the Harris County Sheriff's Office (HCSO) showed up, they found two people inside trying to make off with hundreds of lollipops they quickly realized were laced with meth, CNN reports. Authorities said the pair had stuffed so many narcotics into their car that the trunk wouldn't close.

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Photo via Harris County Sheriff's Office Facebook

Police arrested the suspected burglars—Evonne Mick, 36, and David Salinas, 21—and charged them with possession with intent to manufacture or deliver a controlled substance. Though authorities believe the meth was manufactured in the stash-house—which sits nearby a school—they don't believe Mick and Salinas were the ones cooking it up, according to the sheriff's office. The cops said they have a hunch Mick had stayed in the house before, and came back to rob it with Salinas in tow.

"I don't believe these two people were the actual people making them," a HCSO official told a local FOX affiliate. "The other part of our investigation is going to be trying to figure out who's actually making them."

According to HCSO Lt. Ruben Diaz, whoever was making the pops was likely trying to target children. Of the roughly 600 pounds of meth pops confiscated by police, many of them were molded into a variety of kid-friendly colors and shapes, including butterflies, flowers, Yoda's head, and the Batman logo. They ranged in price from $20 to $40 a pop, brining the quarter-ton of "candy" to a $1 million street value.

Photo via Harris County Sheriff's Office Facebook

"Even if they were not sold directly to a child, what if these lollipops were dropped anywhere in the neighborhood?" Diaz told the Dallas Morning News. "A child picking them up is going to see them and think it's regular candy."

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