“Destruction, misery and violence”: why fireworks are becoming increasingly explosive and dangerous

The police arrested a suspect on Friday evening, November 3, in connection with the possession of very heavy fireworks. A 19-year-old man was checked by the police in Zaandam. It turned out that there were 30 cobras – which are heavy and illegal fireworks – in his car. Officers went to his house, and guess what? There was much more in his cellar box.

Prison sentences

Nearly 400 cobras were found there. All fireworks have been confiscated. Possession of two hundred or more cobras can lead to a prison sentence of at least 9 months.

Storing fireworks in a basement box, a car, a house. It’s life-threatening. Fireworks expert Jack Sijm, together with Bureau NH, looked at images of lit cobras. It clearly shows the impact of these types of explosions. “You see the enormous effect and explosive power when something like that is detonated. At the slightest provocation it explodes with enormous pressure.”

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Lucrative trade for criminals

Fireworks are also becoming increasingly explosive and therefore riskier, the police see. The trade in cobras and other heavy artillery appears to be an increasingly lucrative revenue model for criminals and their networks. And that poses even more danger to society, says Sijm.

“Fireworks are becoming increasingly heavier and are also used by – often young – criminals. For threats to people and attacks on homes, for example. It is extremely threatening if something like this happens to you. The consequences are incalculable.”

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In garages, cars, even people’s homes: fireworks are sometimes stored in strange places. What can you do to ensure this doesn’t happen again?

Sijm: “As a parent you have to know what your children are doing, so I appeal to them to be alert to signs that fireworks may be stored in the house. It is important that citizens are alert to what is happening in the neighborhood. Then please report it.”