After a tiring day at his job, Aiden Sagala opted to unwind with a cold beer, not realizing the fatal consequences that awaited him. Little did the 21-year-old know that the can he chose contained liquid methamphetamine, leading to his tragic demise with just one sip.
The incident occurred on March 2, 2023, when Aiden selected a can of beer from a gift case given to him by his employer, which he brought home. At that time, he resided in Auckland, New Zealand, with his sister Angela and brother-in-law Billy. Reports from Cp24 indicate that Aiden and Billy, along with a friend, were relaxing at home and decided to sample the tall cans labeled as ‘Honey Bear Beer’ from Canada.
Upon taking his initial sip, Aiden remarked to Billy about the beer tasting “salty.” Billy, after trying the beer himself, reassured Aiden that it was fine. However, upon tasting it, Billy immediately noticed a strange flavor resembling sea salt mixed with chemicals and promptly spat it out.
Following this, Aiden contacted his mother, leading to a distressing turn of events where he expressed fears of impending death to Billy shortly after leaving his room. His behavior escalated into agitation and physical aggression, repeatedly calling out for his mother as she helplessly listened on the phone.
In a panicked state, Billy alerted his wife Angela, who rushed home and, upon observing Aiden’s deteriorating condition, called for an ambulance. Angela, a doctor, performed CPR on her brother as they awaited medical assistance. Despite their efforts, Aiden slipped into a coma and tragically passed away five days later due to multiple organ failure caused by a lethal dose of methamphetamine.
The untimely death of Aiden unraveled a significant drug smuggling network spanning across India, the United States, and Canada. Following an investigation by New Zealand authorities into Aiden’s death, a storage unit in Auckland was discovered to house approximately 700 kilograms of liquid methamphetamine, marking the largest methamphetamine seizure in the country’s history.
Authorities revealed that Baltej Singh, the proprietor of a local supermarket, had imported substantial quantities of meth concealed as beverages into New Zealand. These shipments included kombucha from the US, coconut water from India, and nearly 29,000 cans of the Honey Bear beer from Toronto.
Aiden’s boss, known as Himatjit ‘Jimmy’ Kahlon, was captured on security footage removing cases of beer from the storage unit and was accused of aiding in processing the liquid methamphetamine into crystal meth. Kahlon inadvertently distributed cans containing beer to others while leaving some cans filled with liquid methamphetamine in the cases. Subsequently, he faced manslaughter charges in connection with Aiden’s death.
Additionally, Singh, a well-regarded businessman in Auckland from a prominent Indian family, was charged by the police for orchestrating the import operation.