Two men from The Hague who had bought 700 euros worth of fireworks in Baarle-Hertog (Belgium) came home from a rude awakening on Thursday morning. They were immediately picked out during checks at the Dutch-Belgian border near Hazeldonk. The men have lost the fireworks. They will soon be fined.
At Hazeldonk, the police, customs and the Royal Military Police were actively checking the border on Thursday. “Since December 9, we can be anywhere, including Hazeldonk,” a spokesperson for the Marechaussee said earlier.
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This meant bad news for the two men from The Hague. “This is the first time we do this and we are immediately singled out. The store staff said that we had to drive via this route because there is a greater chance of checks inside,” sighs one of the men.
Together the men bought 700 euros worth of mainly decorative fireworks. They’ve lost the fireworks. The men can also expect a fine. The amount of the fine will soon be determined by the judiciary.
You may only bring fireworks to the Netherlands during permitted sales days. This year these are Saturday December 28, Monday December 30 and Tuesday December 31. This may only be fireworks that are permitted according to Dutch law. You are also allowed to transport a maximum of 25 kilos of fireworks per car.
Additional checks
The extra checks since December 9 have been carried out to combat human smuggling and illegal migration. As far as we know, this is the first at Hazeldonk. There are about twenty employees of the Royal Military Police, customs and police employees present.
The checks are carried out ‘on a random basis’, says Anna, a first-class guard at the Marechaussee, which is carrying out checks in Hazeldonk. “Everything can be taken off the road,” she explains. “It is checked whether everyone is in possession of the correct documents.” If someone does not have the correct papers, this person will be taken for additional investigation.