Baking bad: California cops offer to test meth for 'deadly gluten'

Cunning cops in Newark, California, are hoping to catch out some not-so-savvy drug dealers by offering to test their meth for “deadly gluten.”

On Thursday, Newark Police Department tried out their new drug enforcement strategy on Facebook. “Is your meth laced with deadly gluten?” they asked in a post, before offering to “test it” for free.

The post has since been shared almost 90,000 times – twice the population of the west coast city. It has also so far generated 14,000 likes and over 4,000 comments, many of which applauded the cops for their innovative move.

Others, however, thought the joke was in poor taste.

It’s unclear if any dealers or users fell for the scheme. Many commentators sought further information from the police on that point, but they weren’t exactly forthcoming.