Frightful Firecracker Phenomenon: Netherlands Under Siege
In the serene and maintained streets of the Netherlands, residents are abruptly disturbed by resounding detonations about three times every night. Explosions, often the work of illicit firecrackers as powerful as grenades, disrupt the peace of the land more frequently associated with charming tulips and cyclist-friendly lanes. These recurring mini blasts have given rise to apprehension amongst Dutch citizens, known for their composed demeanor. Arend Zwarthof, whose residence lies opposite a building where a detonation occurred on a morning last month in the Amsterdam suburb of Duivendrecht, could barely believe the intensity of the noise.
He has been dwelling in the area for 55 years but yet he had never experienced such a monumental explosion that shattered apartment windows and inflicted wreckage on twelve units. Despite the terrifying blast, fortunately, there were no casualties. However, such detonations have become an all-too-common event in Dutch communities, a shocking reality for a country known for its tranquility. Across the Netherlands, nearly 700 of these explosions were reported by the authorities in just the first six months of this year.
The detonations have not only become a source of terror but have been responsible for devastating homes, means of living, and, occasionally, have resulted in injury or even fatalities. Previously, these explosions were largely connected to organized criminal outfits and narco peddlers using grenades for settling conflicts. Regulations officials have lately reported both a trend and a shift — black market fireworks are being used to intimidate individuals over domestic disagreements, romantic fallouts, or business competitions. This unsettling trend of using fireworks for personal vendettas has grown.
Security Officer Jonathan Lindenkamp admits, ‘It’s become commonplace, but it certainly shouldn’t be’. Lindenkamp was temporarily placed in Duivendrecht post the July 12 blast, where a proper arrest or establishment of motive has still not been confirmed by authorities. Despite being unlawful, these high-yield fireworks are quite readily available.
Fireworks regulations in the Netherlands are known to be more relaxed compared to many of its European counterparts, with citizens spending millions of euros every New Year’s Eve on private firework displays. This sentiment is echoed by Marieke Liem, a professor at Leiden University who has closely studied the issue. In a fatal incident in December, a massive explosion sparked a fire, causing a partial building collapse in The Hague, known for housing the International Criminal Court, which resulted in six casualties.
Four individuals were apprehended and charged concerning the incident, amongst whom was a person believed to have masterminded the blast. The intended target appears to have been a bridal shop running by his former girlfriend. The same month, an explosion in rural town Vroomshoop instigated a fire that led to the death of two individuals and three dogs. This incident stemmed from a conflict between a dog breeder and a client.
Liem expresses concern over the misconception that this surge in explosions is solely linked to organized crime. Since the start of 2024, at least 35 people have suffered injuries, some severe like limb loss, from these explosions. While officials scramble to hold perpetrators accountable, such attacks are on the rise.
In 2022, the Netherlands saw over 340 similar incidents, mostly tied to drug trafficking or organized crime, as per police records. This number almost tripled, reaching 901 in 2023 and further escalating to 1,244 in 2024. The current trend suggests this year might set a new record. Peculiarly, officials indicate that most of these explosions are not related to organized crime. René de Beukelaer, Amsterdam’s public prosecution head admits, ‘It’s a national issue that has surfaced recently and doesn’t show signs of subsiding.
While comparable minor blasts occur in other European territories — with gang wars in Sweden or political rivalries in Germany — the unusual aspect of the situation in the Netherlands is the high frequency of such incidents per inhabitant, coupled with the fact that regular people, involved in petty arguments, mostly commit them. Carola Schouten, Rotterdam’s Mayor and a national task force chair on the explosions issue, affirms, ‘It has become an extremely convenient method to scare people.’ She refers to the problem as a ‘multi-headed monster.’
The planning and execution of these blasts are typically conducted over the Telegram messaging service, a platform where illicit fireworks, and usually young male individuals willing to plant these explosive devices in their late teens to early twenties, can be easily found. They receive a payment of a few hundred euros for the job. Most of these blasts occur in bustling cities like Amsterdam and Rotterdam, but the terror of these shootings has found its way into all of the Dutch provinces in recent years.
Baarn, a quaint woodland town of roughly 25,000 citizens located less than 25 miles from Amsterdam, experienced nine blasts just in the first seven months of this year, including one thwarted attempt. Baarn’s deputy Mayor, Steven de Vries, notes the rising fear in society resulting from these incidents: ‘You can feel the fear seeping into society.’
The Dutch police managed to arrest 163 individuals connected to these blasts in the first six months of this year. Most of these arrests, however, were of the young men placing the bombs, while the individuals sourcing the explosives and orchestrating the blasts are believed to be shielding themselves behind encrypted Telegram conversations.
In a suburb of Rotterdam, Vlaardingen, a local plumber was the target of 28 successive bomb attacks over several months. The bombing campaign ended in August 2024, when the plumber passed away due to what local media reported as a cardiac issue. Individuals behind the bombings have never been pinpointed or apprehended. Bert Wijbenga, Vlaardingen’s Mayor, declares that the culprits behind the explosives ‘are likely taking a beach vacation, sipping cocktails under an umbrella, while chaos reigns here.’