A tonne of fireworks seized in a residential neighbourhood

A few days before the new year, a story unfolded in Rosport that looked more like a crime novel scenario than a typical pre-holiday raid. On Monday, police made an emergency seizure of 1,140 kilograms of pyrotechnic equipment - with a net weight of 197.3 kilograms of explosives. In comparison, this is comparable to the contents of a small military warehouse, but everything was stored within the boundaries of a residential area.

The operation was carried out by officers from the Echternach police in conjunction with the specialised weapons and explosives service of the judicial police. The Inspectorate of Labour and Mines (Inspection du travail et des mines, ITM) joined in to strengthen the investigative measures. According to the Diekirch prosecutor's office, the premises were not equipped with any adequate security systems and were located in an abandoned petrol station, a place clearly not intended for storing such dangerous materials.

A key detail of the case is the complete illegality of the business. The trade was conducted without the obligatory "commodo" permit, which is required for potentially dangerous facilities. At the same time, the demand before the holidays, judging by the volumes, was high: the underground fireworks market was operating at full capacity.

The investigation went beyond the simple seizure of pyrotechnics. Accounting documents were confiscated, as well as "assets derived from the offences". The investigation is being conducted in two areas: violation of the law on high-risk installations and money laundering. Both natural and legal persons were involved.

The legal consequences can be serious. Basic offences carry eight days to six months in prison and fines of up to €125,000. If the actions are labelled as money laundering, the penalties increase to five years' imprisonment. The financial range of penalties here almost symbolises the scale of the risk: from €1,250 to €1.25 million for individuals and up to €12.5 million for companies.