French Customs seized more than 25,000 fireworks illegally imported from Belgium at a shop in the Lille metropolitan area in late June, the department said on Monday.
According to Customs, the shop did not have a licence for gunpowder and explosives.
Officers found nearly 15,000 Category T1 items, including large mortars, which are fireworks intended for theatre and professional use. The rest of the seized goods were small Category F1 and F2 items, which may only be sold to adults, the department added.
It said the seizure showed its determination to dismantle illegal supply networks ahead of high-risk events such as the football World Cup and France’s National Day on 14 July.
In recent weeks, Customs officers in the Île-de-France region around Paris also seized 680 pyrotechnic items, originating in the Czech Republic and Poland, at express freight and postal centres.
Nearly 190,000 fireworks items were seized in France last year, including 132,245 in December alone, compared with fewer than 38,000 in 2024.
Amid drought and a heatwave affecting much of the country, prefectures in several regions have warned against the irresponsible use of fireworks in dry areas where fires could break out.
Many municipalities have also cancelled fireworks displays that had originally been planned for the national holiday.
