more than 1,000 fireworks mortars seized in the Grand Est and Marseille

More than 1,000 fireworks mortars have been seized in recent days in the Grand Est and in Marseille, franceinfo learned on Friday December 29 from a police source. One person was taken into custody. On Wednesday December 26, 800 mortars were seized in Strasbourg. The next day, in Marseille, 537 fireworks sticks were seized in the evening. At the sight of the Bac police officers, the suspects fled and abandoned their boxes. One of the fugitives was taken into custody for refusing to comply. His scooter, reported stolen, was also seized.

Thursday afternoon, a road check was set up in Mulhouse (Haut-Rhin), with the aim of searching for mortars. 67 vehicles were checked, for a total of 25 mortar rockets, 20 firecrackers and 208 sticks. A little later, on information, the police searched the room of a teenager, suspected of selling them on Snapchat. 348 fireworks were seized.

In Bas-Rhin, in Sélestat, police officers were informed Thursday afternoon of the use of fireworks on public roads. There were four people and debris on site. In the trunk of their car, the police found 174 fireworks. The defendants admitted to returning from Germany, where they had purchased the fireworks.

The purchase, sale, transfer, use, carrying and transport of these fireworks are prohibited by prefectural decree until January 3, 2024 in these three departments.