
Police in Vienna have confiscated nearly 1,000 illegal fireworks during two separate operations in the city’s 20th and 21st districts, authorities announced on Monday.
The largest discovery was made on Friday in the 20th district, Brigittenau. Acting on a tip-off, officers uncovered a stash of 886 fireworks stored in the cellar of a multi-occupancy building. The haul, linked to an 18-year-old, included high-risk fireworks classified as F3 and F4, as well as banned flash-bang devices.
“The extreme risk of explosion required the removal to be carried out by police explosives experts,” said Julia Schick, a police spokesperson.
The cellar was connected to the flat of the teenager’s mother, who was reportedly unaware of the stockpile. The teenager now faces charges under Austria’s Pyrotechnics Act.
In a separate operation in the 21st district, Floridsdorf, on Saturday afternoon, officers confiscated 103 illegal fireworks, also in the F3 and F4 categories, during routine checks on a group of teenagers aged 14 to 18.
Two knuckledusters (metal guards worn over the knuckles) and a switchblade knife were also discovered and confiscated during the search. The teenagers have been reported for offences under both the Pyrotechnics Act and the Weapons Act.