Overview
- Searches across several Berlin districts uncovered more than 800 kilograms of prohibited pyrotechnics plus about 350 kilograms of explosive components that are restricted to licensed professionals.
- Three men aged 24 to 25 from Berlin and Bernau are under suspicion for illegal storage and sales of pyrotechnics and for handling explosive substances, following anonymous tips.
- Roughly 140 officers and bomb-disposal specialists from LKA Berlin, Brandenburg, and the federal police secured and disposed of the materials, while phones and data drives were seized for analysis.
- In Cologne’s Sürth, a row-house fire produced explosions linked to stored illegal fireworks, prompting evacuations and a Nina-app warning; one resident was treated for smoke inhalation as crews fought the blaze from outside.
- Authorities are investigating the origin and distribution networks of the seized cache, with a media report citing possible Discord activity that officials have not yet confirmed.