Education Police powers to investigate fireworks offences quickly and effectively Written on Wednesday, December 17, 2025 Everyone knows that fireworks can be dangerous. We regularly see reports about firework bombs and Cobra firecrackers in the news, especially if they have been used in explosive devices. Now, with New Year’s Eve approaching, there is a rise in reports of fireworks nuisance. The Netherlands Police Academy’s Fireworks Training teaches police officers and investigators about the various types of illegal fireworks, and how to investigate firework-related offences. For this kind of investigation, the police do not require a firm suspicion, ‘merely’ an indication. Peter, a lecturer on this course, explains. ‘Firework offences fall under the Economic Offences Act (Wet op de economische delicten, WED). So we have more powers to investigate firework offences than we have for other sorts of serious offences. Under the WED, the police do not need a firm suspicion, merely an indication. To put it simply, this means that a sign or an indication is sufficient for us to take action’, says Peter. Extra powers to act quickly ‘Normally, for a firm suspicion we would need extra facts and circumstances, so extra evidence to back it up. But if there is a sign that an economic crime may be being committed, no extra proof is needed. So the WED gives us extra powers, which makes it easier to investigate fireworks.’ ‘And when I say fireworks, I’m not talking about the consumer fireworks that are on sale for the last three days of the year’, Peter continues. ‘In this course we’re talking about illegal, heavy, and professional fireworks, and especially about people who drive into the Netherlands from neighbouring countries, with vanloads of fireworks for selling.’ Illegal fireworks are life-threatening During the course, Ferry, a lecturer on fireworks, teaches participants how to handle fireworks safely. ‘A lot has changed where fireworks are concerned’, he says. ‘What we’ve seen over the last few years is an increase in seizures of larger and heavier fireworks. Today’s fireworks are really not like what you had 30 years ago.’ ‘Why are today’s fireworks so dangerous? Many people aren’t aware of just how flammable the flash powder in fireworks is: only a tiny spark is needed for it to ignite. And that is precisely what I explain to the officers and investigators who take our course. Police officers’ clothing is not anti-static, so their clothes could give off sparks. So the rule is, basically, if you don’t know much about fireworks, keep your distance and ask a specialist to advise you.’ ‘These big, heavy fireworks are the ones that cause the most problems for us’, Peter adds. ‘They are a real burden for society: not just for citizens, but also for emergency responders. Here I’m thinking particularly of riot police officers during rioting, or stewards in football stadiums. Each kilo we seize is a kilo less to be hurled at an emergency responder. Fireworks can cause blast trauma: damage to the sensory hair cells in the ears, which unfortunately can lead to lifelong tinnitus.’ Boxes of fireworks – open them or not? ‘The powers covered by the WED also allow us to open packages’, Peter explains. ‘We are permitted to inspect, but not to search. So that means we are allowed to open one or two boxes if we believe they contain fireworks, but we’re not allowed to unpack all the boxes. That would be searching, and that is not covered by the WED.’ ‘If fireworks are packed in boxes, we can often tell the contents from the outside of the box, especially if it contains professional fireworks. So then you don’t need to open the box. And sometimes you’d rather not open it: for safety reasons it’s better to leave the fireworks in the box. Opening boxes, or cutting into them may have dangerous consequences, because of the flash powder in fireworks, which is a mass explosive. That means that if one firework explodes, the rest go up with it. In my lessons about police powers, safety is the highest priority.’ ❛❛ All firework-related offences are classified as serious offences, so you can be sentenced to up to six years in prison. Lecturer Peter Suspect is required to cooperate ‘Another example of the extra powers we have under the WED is that if we demand something, the suspect is required to cooperate. This runs completely counter to the principles of criminal procedure, which say that the suspect isn’t obliged to cooperate in their own conviction. Under the WED, the situation is reversed: there it states that “everyone must provide all cooperation that is reasonably necessary”.’ ‘Say I want to investigate a suspect’s car, but it’s locked. Then I can demand that the suspect open it for me, because I am authorised to investigate it. If the suspect refuses to cooperate, they’re committing a criminal offence. So then we can arrest them and bring them in for questioning.’ Many changes in relation to fireworks ‘Penalties for firework offences are really high’, Peter says. ‘Many people are unaware of this. Say you have three Cobra firecrackers in your house: the penalty for that would be 60 hours’ community service. But for seven Cobras, the penalty is 120 hours. And if you’re caught again with between seven and twenty Cobras, you’re looking at a three-to-six-month prison sentence. All firework-related offences are classified as serious offences, so you can be sentenced to up to six years in prison.’ ‘And there’s good reason that the penalties are so high. A Cobra 6 contains 30 grams of flash powder’, Ferry continues. ‘That can cause a huge amount of damage. In the last while we’ve been finding more and more fireworks containing 250 grams of flash powder. And recently we even found some with 2 kilos of flash powder. If one of them explodes in a shed or in someone’s attic, there’ll be nothing left’, he emphasises. Categories of fireworks: what’s allowed, and what’s not? Legal fireworks in Category F1 are also known as ‘dummy and joke fireworks’. They should only be let off outdoors, but they’re not very dangerous and don’t make much noise. Category F2 covers the legal fireworks you can buy in shops in the Netherlands on the final three days of the year. Fireworks in categories F3 and F4 may only be let off by fireworks professionals, who must have completed their pyrotechnic training. They must also meet the requirements for obtaining an implementation permit and must have permission to let off fireworks (by way of a notification or permit). The final requirement is that they must be in possession of a pyro-pass: a compulsory registration document for purchasers of professional fireworks. What is prohibited? All kinds of bangers – rockets, Roman candles, single-shot tubes – and everything other than categories F1 and F2 are prohibited. If they are F1- or F2-category fireworks, they still have to comply with the regulations of the Fireworks Decree and meet the requirements of the Consumer and Theatre Fireworks (Designation) Regulations, which specify which fireworks are suitable for consumers.