Police arrested 237 persons, including 83 minors, in several cities throughout Morocco, and seized a staggering 1,047,189 units of illegal firecrackers and fireworks during the religious festival of Ashoura, observed on the 10th of Muharram in the Islamic calendar (corresponding to July 16).
Police officers handled 206 people cases related to the possession and trafficking of these highly flammable products.
Police in Settat (central Morocco) took the lead with 62 cases of fireworks confiscated and 59 suspects detained, followed by Casablanca with 43 cases, El Jadida with 30 cases, Kénitra with 23 cases, and Marrakech with 19 cases.
Geographically, Casablanca’s police topped the list with 451,116 units of seized explosives, followed by Settat (378,089 units), Marrakech (91,306), Kénitra (51,976), and El Jadida (46,398).
The police seek to dismantle networks engaged in distributing and selling these products, which are used by youth involved in risky activities that can cause disruptions and property damage.
These explosives not only endanger the physical safety of users but also pose threats to others, potentially resulting in injuries like cuts, wounds, fractures, eye injuries, and even loss of fingers or parts of the hand.
In addition to fireworks, Ashoura’s tradition of lighting large fires remains popular in small towns and suburban areas of major cities.