Police find almost 10,000 illegal cobra fireworks in Dinteloord garage, two men arrested

Police have seized more than 750 kilos of heavy illegal fireworks from a garage box in a residential street in Dinteloord, North Brabant. Among them were almost 10,000 cobras, boxes of rockets and shells weighing several kilos each.

Officers entered the garage box on Wednesday evening, 4 November, after investigating a tip about the possible storage and sale of illegal fireworks. A 25-year-old man from Dinteloord was arrested that evening. A 42-year-old man from Steenbergen was arrested on Friday evening.

Drugs and an alarm pistol

In the garage box, police also found an alarm pistol and drugs: more than 90 grams of cannabis, more than 800 grams of hashish and more than 250 pills. Expensive jewellery and a car were seized as well. Specialists removed the fireworks safely.

Risk of a mass explosion

The fireworks contained large amounts of explosive flash powder, police say. Fireworks are often stored in unsafe conditions, which also puts neighbours and passers-by in danger. In the worst case, an explosion can lead to a mass explosion with devastating effects on streets and even whole neighbourhoods.

Since 1 August, owning, buying and setting off fireworks is banned in the Netherlands. Police ask anyone who suspects that illegal fireworks are being stored, sold or transported to report it.