The Federal Police seized on 11 November 2026 during searches in Schleswig-Holstein and Hamburg around 14 tonnes pyrotechnics seized. In Todesfelde in the Segeberg district investigators found several bunker facilities which, according to the Dresden Public Prosecutor’s Office were being used as unauthorised storage sites. The 25-year-old main suspect was arrested and remanded in custody on 12 November.
The Dresden Public Prosecutor’s Office and the Federal Police Criminal Investigation Department in Halle are investigating a total of six suspects aged between 22 and 46. They are suspected of handling explosive substances as part of a gang and on a commercial basis, or of aiding and abetting such activity. The investigating authorities currently believe there have been at least eight cases. This does not establish the guilt of the suspects.
According to the authorities, from mid-June 2026 the main suspect continued operating an existing online pyrotechnics business, despite allegedly no longer holding the required explosives permits. Two other suspects are alleged to have been involved in several offences as members of the gang. The remaining three are accused of supporting the group in individual cases.
According to the authorities, the investigation also led to transports from the Czech Republic and Poland and within Germany. During the operation on the morning of 11 November, 110 Federal Police officers searched business premises and the homes of several suspects, as well as the bunker facilities. The searches took place in Todesfelde and Hamburg.
The figure of around 14 tonnes refers to the total amount of pyrotechnics seized, not just those found in the bunkers. The main suspect is alleged to have stored around 350 kilograms in the back of a van in a residential area of Hamburg. According to the authorities, the items were stored appropriately and are to be destroyed. Their precise weighing and documentation formed part of the ongoing investigation; the stated total was therefore initially an approximate figure.
The arrested man was brought before an investigating judge at Dresden Local Court on 12 November. At the request of the Public Prosecutor’s Office, she issued an arrest warrant and ordered it to be executed. Remand in custody is a measure taken during ongoing proceedings and is not a finding of guilt.
Fireworks are subject to different requirements depending on their hazard class. According to the investigating authorities, categories F3 and F4 are more dangerous than the usual category F2 fireworks used at New Year. Their use requires appropriate training and proof of specialist knowledge. The Federal Police warned against buying or using illegal or untested fireworks: mishandling them could cause serious injuries and significant damage to property. The investigation must establish precisely which individual items were included in the seized stock.
Editor: Mira Cadena (Article created with AI assistance).