The German police made their biggest illegal firework catch ever; not less than 350,000 kilos were hidden in the German city of Kevelaer. ๐งจ
The ten criminal suspects from Nieuwegein were arrested after the police found an old NATO bunker full of boxes of illegal fireworks piled up to the ceiling. The biggest warehouse was in Kevelaer, near the eastern Dutch city of Enschede, reports the NOS.
Most of the fireworks were intended for the Dutch market, and according to the police, the storage locations did not meet any safety requirements. ๐คฆโโ๏ธ
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The police tracked down the trade by gaining access to encrypted messages via Encrochat in 2020, a rather popular chatting service used by criminals who want to keep a low profile.
They discovered that fireworks were transported to the Netherlands from countries such as Poland, Italy and China via Germany since rules against fireworks are less strict there.
Why are fireworks illegal in the Netherlands?
Police say that life-threatening illegal fireworks are not only used for traditional purposes but also in riots and demonstrations. After several incidents, the Dutch police started taking the matter more seriously.
Not only is it violent, but expensive too. For instance, last New Years’ Eve, firework-related damages cost โฌ10 million to repair, which was bound to fire up some security concerns.
Nowadays, police are catching more and more illegal fireworks than ever before. In 2020 alone, 122,815 kilos worth of fireworks were found, as opposed to 61,429 kilos in 2019 and 56,522 in 2018, writes the NOS.
For now, only three out of the ten who got arrested are seen as the main suspects. And, the illegal fireworks are currently still under investigation but will be destroyed afterwards. Better safe than sorry!
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