Illegal fireworks are mainly sold by legal firework dealers. A Dutch Justice Ministry investigation into the trade in illegal fireworks has revealed that the trade in illegal fireworks is not in the hands of criminal gangs, but of legal dealers.

The firework trade association called the conclusion embarrassing. The association is setting up a licencing system to prevent the trade in illegal fireworks.

This year more than 200,000 kilos of illegal fireworks have been confiscated, which is much more than in previous years.

Today, a court in Utrecht convicted a dealer from Enschede of selling illegal fireworks. Police found 100,000 kilos of illegal fireworks at his business premises. He also stored dozens of kilos in his home and garage. In 2000, 22 people were killed and part of a neighbourhood in the southern town of Enschede was destroyed when another firework company caught fire.

The dealer has been sentenced to one year in prison, of which three months is conditional. Two accomplices were sentenced to 120 hours community service.

There are dozens of accidents around New Year's Eve involving fireworks in the Netherlands.

Photo: Firework dealer - Flickr/Maurits Burgers