News hour
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Roemer Ockhuijsen
editor Nieuwsuur
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Ties Brock
reporter Nieuwsuur
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Roemer Ockhuijsen
editor Nieuwsuur
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Ties Brock
reporter Nieuwsuur
The owner of the Italian factory that produces the heavy Cobra fireworks was placed under house arrest last week. The manufacturer’s fireworks are frequently used in attacks on homes and businesses in the Netherlands.
According to the regional newspaper The center the house arrest is said to be the result of the discovery of 120 kilos of illegally stored fireworks and explosive powder. The house arrest would apply as long as the investigation by the Italian Public Prosecution Service continues. Earlier this year, an employee of the same company, Di Blasio Fireworks, died in an explosion at the company’s testing site.
The Dutch police say they are aware of the situation surrounding Di Blasio Fireworks. The Italian police and the Public Prosecution Service in the province of Teramo were not available for questions on Friday News hour.
They’re explosives. The force is comparable to a hand grenade.
Erik Kooijker
Meanwhile, Di Blasio Fireworks is also said to appear in a Dutch investigation. The Functional Public Prosecutor’s Office, responsible for that investigation, announced that their work is separate from the house arrest of the owner of the fireworks factory. They only want to say that their investigation focuses ‘on where the fireworks enter the illegal circuit and who is involved.’
The Dutch interest in the factory is not surprising. The heavy Cobra fireworks have been a thorn in the side of the Dutch police for a long time. This year, there have already been more than six hundred attacks with explosives in the Netherlands, including on houses, cars and business premises.
Heavy fireworks are the cause of almost all these explosions, says Erik Kooijker, fireworks expert at the National Unit. “They are actually not fireworks. They are explosives. The force is comparable to a hand grenade.”
Explosives expert Ad van Riel shows what the effect of a Cobra explosion can be:
That’s how powerful a Cobra explosion is
The police have been calling for a European ban on the production of such heavy fireworks for some time. At the moment, the production of heavy fireworks is still legal, intended for professional fireworks shows. But the Cobras are not often found at professional shows, says Kooijker. “I do not know them.”
Instead, the explosives end up in the illegal circuit. Last year, the police confiscated more than 47,000 flashbangers (heavy fireworks, including many Cobras). Nearly 290,000 flashbangers were also found in Germany that were probably intended for the Dutch market.
Ordering online is easy
When News hour tries to order Cobras via social channels, it will receive the fireworks within two hours. Earlier this month, the police took offline several Telegram channels in which illegal fireworks were traded. “But we prefer to tackle the problem across the border at the source,” says Kooijker.
Outgoing Minister of Justice and Security Dilan Yesilgöz said in the House of Representatives on Tuesday that he is committed to a European ban on heavy firecrackers, but that it is difficult ‘to align with the countries around us’.
The arrest of Elio di Blasio does not mean the end of easily available explosives. According to the Dutch Forensic Institute (NFI), counterfeit Cobras that are made in other countries are also in circulation. Police say the majority of Cobras in circulation do indeed come from Italy.
An employee of the Di Blasio Fireworks fireworks factory denies by telephone that any mistakes were made. According to her, the company is in good contact with the police. The fireworks factory is still open, but according to her, it no longer produces the Cobra 6, the explosive that is common in the Netherlands. She does not want to say anything about the arrest of Elio di Blasio.
Response from the Ministry of Justice and Security
The Ministry of Justice and Security has announced that the Netherlands in Europe is advocating a ban on the production of heavy firecrackers, so-called flashbangers. This also includes the Cobra. The government is also committed to a maximum amount of gunpowder or flash powder in fireworks and improving visibility into illegal trade flows. With a letter containing the Dutch positions, the ministry hopes to get the problem back on the European policy agenda early next year.
2023-12-22 18:00:55
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