German, Dutch police confiscate 250 tons of illegal fireworks

German and Dutch police officers seized tons of illegal fireworks in the Dutch border region on Tuesday, reported dpa.

The largest quantity of the approximately 250 tons of fireworks was stored in a bunker near Ochtrup in north-western Germany, about 20 kilometres from the Dutch city of Enschede. Some of them were classed as "life-threatening" by Jack Sijm, a fireworks expert of the Dutch police.

Two suspects were arrested in the Netherlands, considered to be the heads of a group of further suspects, said a spokesperson for the Osnabrück police.

Investigators said the suspects had been selling the fireworks online, mainly in the Netherlands, making them available for collection from shops in the border region.

The total market value of the firecrackers seized was over €15 million ($15.96 million).

Even though the sale of fireworks was banned in Germany in the past two years due to the pandemic, clinics are still preparing for many emergency injuries around New Year's Eve and New Year's Day.