Ramadan and Eid are the peak seasons for the illegal firecracker market. Up to four tons of firecrackers have been confiscated in Riyadh during raids by police and Civil Defense since the beginning of Ramadan.
The raids were described as preventive actions against accidents and crisis caused by the use of such dangerous objects.
Reporters of Al-Riyadh newspaper accompanied the security forces during a couple of raid campaigns in the capital, and said sellers of firecrackers were usually located at the bird market in southern Riyadh.
Undercover agents investigated and collected information on sellers and the whereabouts of their merchandise.
The campaign succeeded in confiscating many random stalls run by foreigners overstaying their visas. They were dealt with by the police department and deportation offices.
Complaints from neighbors led security men to an apartment, where they also found fake passports and iqamas.
In other raids on dens of criminals, the police found forging tools and counterfeit money in addition to stolen jewelry.
The committees formed by the security forces did not only conduct raids on firecrackers seller, their task was also to educate parents about the danger of using firecrackers by minors.
The newspaper reported that records from the Ministry of Health showed that many fatal injuries were due to burns on faces, hands and sometimes the whole body.
Security records also showed that firecrackers were the main cause of many fire accidents in houses and car parks that took place during Ramadan and Eid.
