Two teens accidentally left a backpack containing marijuana and thousands in cash at a New Zealand charity shop, police say.
The “highly agitated” pair then returned in a panic to retrieve the bag.
The backpack was left in a donation area outside the shop in the Southland region, at the bottom of the South Island.
New Zealand police said that the episode occurred on 18 February, but would not give more details of the shop’s location in order to protect its staff.
A volunteer at the shop noticed a “distinctive pungent aroma”, before opening the bag and discovering plastic bags of marijuana, amounting to 43.2 grams (1.5 ounces).
Also inside the bag was NZ$3,700 (£1,630), the police statement said.
The sale and recreational use of marijuana are illegal in New Zealand. Some medical use is permitted with a doctor’s prescription.
The boy and girl had left the backpack outside the shop as they waited for their vehicle to be serviced at a nearby workshop, the police statement said.
Officers were called after the agitated teens returned to the store. They arrive quickly to de-escalate the situation, as the pair had become aggressive with staff, the statement said.
Police found an air pistol — which those under 18 cannot possess without a license and adult supervision — in the teenagers’ car.
They also found more cash and a police scanner. It is not illegal to have a police scanner in New Zealand, but distributing or acting on information heard is a crime.
Police did not divulge details about any charges the arrested teens faced or if they had appeared in a court.
New Zealand has strict rules about what can be reported from cases before the Youth Court, where cases of alleged offenders younger than 17 are usually heard.
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