More than 400 boxes of illegal firecrackers were destroyed by police and customs officers in Lae this morning.
The firecrackers were imported by a Chinese distributor without legitimate documents.
This comes after several calls by Lae police for the public to refrain from distributing or using illegal firecrackers.
The illegal firecrackers were brought into the country in a 20 foot container in June this year.
The importer is a Chinese national who operates a string of distribution outlets in Lae.
PNG customs officers say the goods were imported without a proper permit and violated the customs laws on imports.
This morning, police and customs officers destroyed the firecrackers at the Second Seven dump site outside Lae.
The importer, speaking off-camera, said he was unaware of the customs procedures on importing these firecrackers.
However, as a first time offender, he was only served a warning letter from the customs and police.
In the last six months, firecrackers have been illegally distributed by major Chinese-owned shops in the city, raising concerns for the safety of young children.
Police will now be on the lookout for those distributing and using these firecrackers.
https://youtube.com/watch?v=Gc8bAG8NcGs%3Ffeature%3Doembed%26wmode%3Dopaque%26showinfo%3D0%26showsearch%3D0%26rel%3D0
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