Bag containing weed and cash accidentally donated to a New Zealand charity shop

WELLINGTON, New Zealand — Two teenagers mistakenly left a knapsack containing marijuana and cash at a donation area outside a New Zealand charity shop then returned in a panic to retrieve the bag, police said Monday.

A volunteer at the store noticed a pungent aroma before opening the knapsack and finding plastic bags of marijuana amounting to 43.2 grams (1.5 ounces) and 3,700 New Zealand dollars ($2,200) in banknotes, New Zealand Police said in a statement.

Using marijuana recreationally and selling the drug are illegal in New Zealand. Some medical use is allowed with a doctor’s prescription.

Police said the episode happened Feb. 18 in the Southland region of the South Island. A spokesperson wouldn’t give more details of the shop’s location to protect staff.

The boy and girl had left the knapsack 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.

Police found an air pistol — which those under 18 can’t possess without a license and adult supervision — a police scanner and more cash in the teens' car. It's not illegal to have a police scanner in New Zealand, but distributing or acting on information heard is a crime.

Police didn’t 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.