BANG OUT OF ORDER: Police Seize 250 Tonnes Of Lethal Fireworks From Military Bunkers

Police in Germany have discovered hundreds of tonnes of illegal fireworks being stored in a network of military bunkers ready to be sold for the New Year.

Image shows the fireworks that were seized, undated photo. A total of 250 tonnes of fireworks were stored in a bunker in near the city of Osnabrueck, in Lower Saxony, Germany. (Polizeidirektion Osnabrueck/Newsflash)

The potentially lethal haul included fireworks in the highly restricted F4 category which can only be handled by professionals.

Local media report that in recent years F4 explosives have increasingly been used by violent protesters in attacks on emergency services including police and ambulances.

Osnabrueck Police Department said in a statement obtained by Newsflash: “The Dutch police, in close cooperation with the Osnabrueck Central Criminal Inspectorate and the Osnabrueck Public Prosecutor’s Office, have again confiscated a large quantity of fireworks.

“Around 250 tonnes of fireworks were stored in a bunker complex about 20 kilometers across the border near Enschede. The fireworks were intended for illegal sale to private individuals.

“Two suspects were arrested.”

The massive haul had been stashed in nine different former military bunkers rented for storage.

The criminal gang selling the fireworks through online shops was smashed when police intercepted a lorry coming from a Dutch port into Germany.

The turnover of the illegal fireworks operation was so large that as police raided the network, another massive lorry turned up with a fresh delivery of fireworks.

Image shows the fireworks that were seized, undated photo. A total of 250 tonnes of fireworks were stored in a bunker in near the city of Osnabrueck, in Lower Saxony, Germany. (Polizeidirektion Osnabrueck/Newsflash)

The operation was a joint one between Dutch and German police, and many of the fireworks were highly illegal in both countries.

Osnabruck police spokesman Marco Ellermann said: “Thanks to the intensive cross-border work with colleagues in Holland these highly explosive and dangerous fireworks have been taken out of circulation and prevented from falling into the wrong hands.”

They said that they believe those arrested were also involved in money laundering.

The illegal trade in fireworks follows EU-wide legislation that reclassifies fireworks into four categories, with the most serious F4 category only able to be trained by professionals.

Member states can also put restrictions on fireworks in categories F2 to an F3 which pose moderate to average danger and are designed to be used outdoors.

Only the F1 category can be sold without restrictions which includes sparklers.

Dutch police have recently stepped up international cooperation into the illegal fireworks trade.

Jack Sijm, a Dutch police fireworks specialist, said: “Through international cooperation, we have once again managed to deal another blow to the illegal trade in fireworks.

“Many of the fireworks found are banned for Dutch consumers because they are too dangerous. We also found crackers from the heaviest category and grenades.

Image shows the fireworks that were seized, undated photo. A total of 250 tonnes of fireworks were stored in a bunker in near the city of Osnabrueck, in Lower Saxony, Germany. (Polizeidirektion Osnabrueck/Newsflash)

“Grenades, also known as “Shells”, are mass explosive and life-threatening. They are also used against security and rescue workers, among other things – criminals use them for explosives and bomb attacks. It’s good that we keep these people off the streets.”

The investigations involved cooperation with the German police, the judiciary, the ILT, customs, Europol and the East Netherlands unit, all of whom made valuable contributions to the investigations.