Gendarmerie seized one million pieces of pyrotechnics since January 2012

Services of the National Gendarmerie seized one million and 150.000 pieces of pyrotechnics since the beginning of January 2011.

These quantities were seized while monitoring the roads of traffickers at points of inspection and control, whether on board of private cars, commercial vehicles, buses or trains. Large quantities of pyrotechnics and fireworks were seized during the inspection of stores and commercial shops as well.

According to the gendarmerie statement, available at Echorouk, the largest quantity of pyrotechnics was seized in Bejaia (east of Algeria) on January 21, 2012, during the inspection of a bus. Security services found a plastic bag containing 30 650 fireworks that were purchased by the owner of a shop in Alma, Setif (east of Algeria), for resale in Jijel (east of Algeria).    

In Algeria, some people celebrate the Mawlid Annabawi Acharif (Birthday of our Prophet Mohammed –Peace be upon him-) using large quantities of fireworks, therefore causing many injuries among citizens. This act was criticized several times by Imams and people who said that this is a bad way of celebrating such a Muslims’ holy event, advising youth to stop selling such dangerous products and calling upon the government to ban import of pyrotechnics.