Video: Cops seize 350,000 kilograms illegal fireworks headed for Dutch market
The police seized a massive 350,000 kilograms of illegal fireworks in Germany that were destined for the Dutch market. Ten suspects were arrested, and the police expect more arrests in the future, the police said on Wednesday. According to various Dutch media, this is the biggest illegal fireworks bust in Netherlands history.
The fireworks seizures and arrests happened in a long-ongoing investigation by the Dutch and German police into the illegal trade of highly explosive fireworks. They launched the investigation in October 2020, when received information and decrypted Encrochat messages showed that illicit fireworks were making their way to the Netherlands from other EU countries and China via Germany.
The police arrested ten suspects over the past weeks. Three men from Nieuwegein, aged 27, 31, and 34, are the main suspects. They were arrested on October 17 and are still in custody. The other suspects are accused of playing a role in the fireworks trafficking. For example, they arranged transport, offered storage, or contacted customers.
The authorities discovered the 350,000 kilograms of illegal fireworks spread over seven locations in Germany during an action day in June. The fireworks were stored in empty bunkers, barns, business locations, and containers. “These storage facilities never met the strict safety requirements,” the police said.
“This is no longer about innocent fireworks. Sometimes they are outright explosives,” said Erik Kooijker, a fireworks expert at the Dutch police’s National Unit.”We see more and more that dangerous fireworks are used as explosives during disturbances, but also in explosive attacks or as a means of blackmail and retaliation in conflicts in organized crime.”
He said that the illegal trade in fireworks also poses major risks to ordinary citizens. “Traders and buyers do not take their own safety and that of others very seriously. They take enormous risks when transporting and storing them in garages, sheds, and homes. When mass explosive material detonates in a residential area, the consequences are incalculable. Even a relatively small amount can lead to casualties and significant damage.”
