The New York Daily News revealed the officer who arrested Mr Olatunjiojo confidently stated in the criminal affidavit that he had professional training in the identification of methamphetamine.

Making reference to Bryan Cranston’s hit series Breaking Bad the lawyer representing Mr Olatunjiojo claimed the 25-year-old is nothing like the meth-making lead character Walter White.

Mr Smith, who filed a lawsuit this week in Brooklyn Federal Court, said: ‘I don’t know if these cops have been watching Breaking Bad, but my client is not Walter White.’

His client and friend bought the sweets at the It’Sugar candy store in Coney Island last June.

Several blocks from the sweets emporium, Mr Olatunjiojo and his friend were stopped by Officer Jermaine Taylor and several other officers, who searched the pair.

The complaint filed on behalf of Mr Olatunjiojo claims police told him it was ‘only a matter of time before they found something’.

It also claims that Officer Taylor said he carried out a field test to determine if the sweets were narcotics and got a ‘positive’ result.

Two ‘red crystalline rocks of solid material’ and four ‘blue crystalline rocks of solid material’ were sent to the NYPD lab for specialist tests and analysis.

Two days later the results revealed the six ‘rocks’ were in fact Jolly Rancher sweets, not an illegal drug, Mr Smith said.

The Brooklyn district attorney’s office waited until September 19 to seek dismissal of the charges against Mr Olatunjiojo and his unidentified friend, who was also arrested.

Mike Levine, a former US Drug Enforcement Administration agent, said he could not comment on what suspicion led the cops to stop Mr Olatunjiojo, but pointed out that crystal meth and Jolly Rancher sweets look very similar.

‘Crystal meth is produced in all kinds of colors,’ Mr Levine said. ‘There’s a type that’s going around that looks like strawberry Pop Rocks candy.’

‘Dope dealers will disguise their product in any way you can imagine,’ he added.

Mr Olatunjiojo is seeking unspecified compensation for the 24 hours he spent in police custody and court detention for a misdemeanor drugs charge.

The 25-year-old, who declined to comment, claims he suffered emotional distress as a result of the alleged false arrest, illegal search and seizure and false imprisonment.

A spokeswoman for the city Law Department said they were awaiting service of the court papers and would look into the allegations.

Don’t believe it?

Here’s the criminal complaint:

Here is the laboratory report:

Here is the complaint filed in civil court:

Welcome to ‘Murica.