Dealing with attacks involving explosives

Across Europe, hundreds of vehicles travel our roads, passing through tunnels, our neighbourhoods, even right by our schools—carrying loads of explosive materials. They aren’t just fireworks. They are potential disasters on wheels. The illegal transport of fireworks across borders is alarmingly easy – and often goes unnoticed by law enforcement. Every day, these hidden dangers move freely across our countries. That’s why joint action isn’t just important. It’s essential – to keep our countries safe.

Cobras – also called flash-bangers—are mostly produced in Eastern and Southern Europe. They are intended solely for professional use. They are high-powered explosives with the destructive power of a hand grenade – or more – per unit. Criminal networks order flash-bangers and other heavy explosive fireworks for international, illegal trade. They often operate from seemingly legitimate fireworks companies, conducting both legal and illegal business.

The fireworks are moved in containers and trucks to storage locations, often traveling the same routes used for drugs, illegal weapons and cigarettes. The criminal networks behind this trade ignore every day safety regulation for transporting hazardous materials. The vehicles carry no warning signs – there is nothing to reveal the danger inside. That makes detection harder. And if something goes wrong, it puts our emergency services at extreme risk.

The fireworks are stored not only in bunkers, but also in barns and even ordinary homes—often close to the Dutch border. These hidden stockpiles often hold hundreds of kilograms of explosives at once.

From these storage sites, the trade moves forward. Dealers meet buyers in nearby shopping centers, where vans loaded with explosives change hands. From there, the transport continues into the Netherlands. The fireworks are further distributed, ending up in storage units, garages, or even the bedroom of the boy next door. There, among unsuspecting families, they lie in wait—without any safety precautions.

The possession and use of illegal fireworks is a rapidly growing problem in the Netherlands—leading to accidental detonations, attacks on emergency responders, ATM bombings, and even explosions at people’s front doors.

But this is not just a Dutch problem. These vehicles are driving on your roads too…

To expose the hidden danger of the transport of illegal explosives, a test was conducted. Twelve boxes of flash-bangers —a relatively small trade quantity —were packed into a van and detonated. To capture the full impact of such an explosion on the road, two additional vehicles were placed besides the van.  The result shows just how devastating even a small load can be.

These images show how disastrous illegal heavy fireworks transport and storage can be. The actual explosive loads on our roads are often much larger. Along the illegal supply chain — from factory transport to storage and street-level use — the quantities shrink. Storage sites may hold up to a hundred thousands of flash bangers. Trucks and vans often carry a few hundred to tens of thousands flash bangers, usually mixed with other types of fireworks. At street level, even a single flash banger or a few dozen, can still cause significant damage.

As the chairwoman of the National Taskforce Against Explosions in the Netherlands, I am fully committed to doing everything in my power to combat the illegal use of fireworks and explosives. We must limit the permissible amounts of gun and flash powder in fireworks to reduce the risk of misuse.

The very dangerous flash-banger type fireworks are essentially bombs – and should be banned. We also urgently need to ensure greater transparency in the trade and distribution of heavy fireworks to prevent further victims.

I call upon the European Union to take action. But the European Union is not the only one that can—or must—act. This is a shared responsibility that requires all of us to contribute, whether in policy and legislation, oversight and customs, law enforcement and prosecution, emergency services, or public education. Every part is vital.

That is why I ask you kindly, but also urgently: please help. We can only stop this if we seriously counter the international production, transport, and storage of pyrotechnics. Together, we can do this. Thank you for your commitment and for your partnership in this crucial endeavour.