Dutch and German police seize 250 tons of illegal fireworks

The European law enforcement agency Europol on Tuesday announced that police from Germany and the Netherlands had seized 250 tons of illegal heavy fireworks. Authorities say most of the "dangerous, high-explosive fireworks" were found in a bunker near Ochtrup, Germany.

The northwestern German village is located roughly 20 kilometers (12.5 miles) from the Dutch city of Enschede, itself the site of one of Europe's deadliest fireworks explosions in 2000.

Europol said Tuesday's raid had been part of a yearlong investigation into a Dutch crime gang that was prompted by an anonymous tip and facilitated by information gleaned from parallel investigations into illegal fireworks trafficking.

"The suspects stored the heavy fireworks in unsecured locations, while illegally selling these extremely dangerous goods to the public — despite such fireworks being banned for open sale," read a statement from the Hague-based law enforcement agency.

Police say the fireworks, some of which were classed as "life-threatening" by pyrotechnics experts, were being sold online and mainly destined for Dutch New Year's festivities. Buyers were told they could pick up the fireworks at various shops near the border.

"The suspects involved in this illegal scheme attempted to circumvent the strict regulations for the sale of fireworks by hiding behind the facade of a legal company, registered for the sale of authorized fireworks," read the Europol statement.

Two suspects were arrested in the raid that netted more than €15 million ($15.9 million) worth of contraband.

Heavy-duty fireworks also used to carry out criminal acts

Tuesday's Europol statement made note of the fact that gangs also use heavy-explosive fireworks such as those found in Ochtrup, "to perpetrate violence, or to facilitate their criminal activities during, for example, ATM attacks."

Europol, which assisted Osnabrück Regional Police in Germany, the Dutch National Police and the Dutch Prosecution Office of Amsterdam in Tuesday's bust, reported that its dedicated illegal fireworks taskforce also seized more than 350 tons of explosives with a market value of €25 million as well as large amounts of cash this November.

Private fireworks part of New Year's tradition in Germany and the Netherlands

The Netherlands banned heavy fireworks in 2020, and 12 municipalities across the country — including Amsterdam and Rotterdam — have banned fireworks entirely.

The sale of fireworks has also been banned in Germany for the past two years due to the coronavirus pandemic.

Nevertheless, revelers in both countries spend millions on fireworks each year as these are a major part of New Year's celebrations that see entire neighborhoods covered in black smoke as ash rains down from the skies in scenes akin to a war zone, leaving animals cowering and streets filled with garbage for days.

Despite that illegality, such bans are extremely difficult to enforce, and hospital emergency rooms are gearing up to treat countless serious injuries that can include severe burns, lost limbs and in some cases even end in death.

On Saturday, a 24-year-old was killed near Rotterdam when a highly explosive firework blew up in his face.

Authorities say the fireworks seized in Tuesday's raid posed a grave threat not only to purchasers but also people living near the storage site.

The Enschede fireworks disaster of 2000, for instance, killed 23 people, injured nearly 1,000, entirely destroyed 400 homes and damaged 1,500 more.

js/es (AFP, dpa)