Number of explosions increased again in the Netherlands this year; 500 suspects arrested

Around 500 suspects have been arrested for explosions this year, policeman Jos van der Stap, who is also the maker of the program “High Impact Crimes,” told NOS. According to the police, there have been 1,100 attacks using explosives on homes and companies this year.

This is a significant increase in 2021 when there were 212 explosions. There had been 923 explosions the last time this was reported, which was in mid-November.

The firework Cobra is used in around 80 percent of the explosions. Although it is illegal, it is often bought via the black market because there is a demand for it in the Netherlands. Van der Stap said that the fireworks “have the power of a hand grenade and are a threat to a person’s life if it explodes close by.”

Police say that the Netherlands’ firework culture contributes to the fact that explosions occur a lot more often than in nearby countries. Van der Stap thinks that social media companies should also put more work into looking out for and cooperating with police when their sites are used to sell and buy illegal fireworks.

The Minister of Justice and Security, David van Weel, said that he is very concerned about the rise in explosions. He feels that these explosions are not fireworks and are more comparable to hand grenades.

This is why he also did not want to discuss a fireworks ban. “We see these types of explosions throughout the whole year. It happens every night somewhere in the Netherlands. It is a strange trend, and I see it as something different than fireworks.”