The municipality of Haaksbergen,Netherlands,is cracking down on a 33-year-old man from Hengelo with a history of transporting and storing illegal fireworks. Faced with repeated offenses, the municipality has imposed a penalty payment to deter future violations.

The Penalty: A €25,000 Deterrent

• The man now faces a fine of €25,000 each time he stores professional-grade or illegal fireworks within Haaksbergen.
• This penalty applies even if he merely crosses the municipal boundary with a single firework in his possession,according to RTV East.

Protecting Residents and Businesses

The municipality's decision is rooted in a desire to safeguard the community.

The municipality wants to protect all our residents and entrepreneurs against these practices of the person concerned.

haaksbergen officials stated that the man's history demonstrates a continued pattern of dangerous and illegal activities in residential and commercial areas since at least 2018.

A History of Illegal Fireworks

The man's involvement with illegal fireworks dates back even further, to 2017. Key incidents include:

• 2017: Police discovered nearly 2,500 kilos of illegal fireworks in his garage and attic, located close to his living space.A judge warned that his stockpile could have devastated a large portion of his neighborhood.
• 2020 & 2021: Authorities seized another 500 kilos of heavily illegal fireworks stored in a residential area without proper safety measures, resulting in a year-long prison sentence.
• November 2023: He and an accomplice were apprehended on the A1 motorway transporting over 2,200 kilos of fireworks, including flowerbeds and mortar bombs smuggled from Poland. This led to a two-year prison term.

Stupid stupid

During one of his court appearances,the man admitted,

I have been very stupid. This year I will not put a little star with the New Year.

he received a 240-hour community service sentence.

The Sea Container Discovery

In October of last year, police uncovered 588 kilos of heavy fireworks and mortar tubes in a sea container in Haaksbergen. This discovery was immediately linked to the man, who was under surveillance by police, the municipality, Customs, and the Twente Surroundings Agency.

The Danger of Illegal Fireworks

The municipality of Haaksbergen emphasized the extreme danger posed by the seized fireworks, stating that the illegal fireworks

is very dangerous. It contains a lot of flash powder and can respond 'mass explosive'. This means that the entire stock can explode in one go. If one piece of fireworks explodes, it can lead to a large explosion that can cause hundreds of meters further damage.

Municipality's Resolve

By imposing this penalty order, the municipality aims to halt the illegal trade and activities of the Hengelo resident, ensuring the safety and well-being of its community.