Firecrackers seized

Firecrackers seized

MADIUN, East Java: Police have seized thousands of firecrackers from a house thanks to a tip from local people.

Madiun Police Chief Lt. Col. Abdul Madjid said that a 17-year old boy who lived in the house was arrested. A police hunt for his mother, believed to head the operation, has been launched.

Abdul said the boy had admitted to having helped his mother produce the firecrackers. He added that the police are investigating the possibility that the production is part of a larger syndicate, Antara reported.

Police are intensifying their operation to clamp down on firecrackers which find their way to the markets during Ramadhan although they are outlawed.

In Semarang, the city police have also launched a major operation against firecrackers and joyriders who roam the streets in the wee hours.

Police are deploying 200 officers to patrol the streets, Semarang Police Chief Col. Adang Rismanto said. (emb)