At least seven Dutch fireworks dealers operating in the border region with Germany have been able to continue in business despite previous convictions for selling illegal fireworks connected with fire bomb attacks, an investigation by RTL Nieuws and German paper Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung has shown.
The powerful fireworks, including cobras, are widely used in explosives attacks on both private homes and businesses in the Netherlands.
Police have registered 678 attacks and attempted attacks on homes and business premises involving powerful fireworks in the first six months of this year. In 2024, a total of 1,543 explosions outside properties involved fireworks.
The border area with Germany is where the illegal trade in fireworks is concentrated, according to Dutch and German police and justice officials.
“It’s only a handful of fireworks wholesalers, who are making huge amounts of money. Some of them are also involved in the illegal trade of cigarettes, designer clothes and drugs,” Dutch prosecutor Karin Broere told the broadcaster.
Most of the traders have previous convictions but this doesn’t stop them, an anonymous police official said. “They are also getting more professional. They communicate via encrypted messages and manipulate car braking systems so they don’t attract attention at night.”
RTL said German police are not clamping down on the trade in the border region because the legal repercussions are limited to fines and that cooperation between the two countries’ police forces is not always efficient.
“A change in the law would make it easier to take measures like phone tapping and secret observations, which we are not allowed to do now,” German police chief Thosten Massinger said.
The lack of cooperation between the forces means information about convictions is not actively shared with the German authorities, which means a convicted dealer can start another business in that country without any problem.
EU legislation
According to Dutch police chief Tolga Koklu, harmonising European legislation would help. “We are working on it but it takes time,: he said.
Rotterdam mayor Carola Schouten, who is chairwoman of the Offensive Against Explosions group also favours a European approach.
She and 17 other mayors have petitioned the European Parliament to ban heavyweight fireworks in European countries. “These are bombs,” she said.
