POLICE - 11,000 PYROTECHNIC ITEMS CONFISCATED WITHIN 3 MONTHS - THE LARGEST QUANTITIES FROM THE OCCUPIED TERRITORIES - Filenews 28/3
The Police's campaign to prevent and combat juvenile delinquency related to uncontrolled lambratzia and the use of firecrackers, which began two months ago, continues unabated, in cooperation with the local government authorities and the Fire Service and will culminate in Holy Week, said Police pyrotechnician Paris Kyriakou. So far, in 2026 there have been 11,000 seizures of pyrotechnic items, the vast majority of which are firecrackers, he added. In 2025, the Police located and confiscated 20,500 pyrotechnic items, of which 9,000 were firecrackers.
Mr. Kyriakou warned that in actions that concern either the 'lamps' or the firecrackers, there are dangers that threaten the life and physical integrity of either the people involved in these actions, or people who are not involved in them.
For his part, the President of the Union of Cyprus Municipalities, Mayor of Larnaca, Andreas Vyras, told KYPE that the situation is very worrying and that the crews of the local authorities have been collecting wood and other materials intended for lampratzias for a long time.
In particular, the Police pyrotechnician recalled that on Easter 2025, the death of the 22-year-old occurred at the Istanbul High School, when a stake placed in the 'lamp' slipped and hit the young man on the head, the injury of a 40-year-old man outside a church by a firecracker thrown by a 3rd person, and the amputations on two minor young people, one by a factory firecracker and the other by improvised.
Mr. Kyriakou initially said that every year when the Easter holidays approach, the Police start an enlightenment campaign about the dangers lurking from the possession and use of firecrackers and fireworks, while at the same time conducting a policing campaign in order to stop phenomena of juvenile delinquency.
Prevention measures include information through the Mass Media and social media, he continued, adding that the Police pyrotechnics branch and community policing have been giving lectures in primary and secondary schools for two months, while at the same time patrols have been intensified in various prone areas such as parks, churches, open spaces and wherever else there is information about illegal activity of using firecrackers or fireworks.
He noted that increased patrols are also being carried out in the field of detection of the entry of illegal explosives into the Republic and which are the legal entry gates through which illegal objects enter camouflaged, and illegal entries through the ceasefire line.
Answering a question, he said that the largest amount of firecrackers or other illegal explosives comes from Istanbul, mainly from Turkey and passes into the free areas through occupied territories, adding that the origin of firecrackers and explosives, which arrive through legal entry gates, is Spain and Poland.
Asked if the work of the Police was affected by the vote against the bill to regulate the custom of Lambratzia, Mr. Kyriakou said that this development does not affect the work of the Police, because the current legislation prohibits the lighting of fires. He added that despite the total ban, the Police are taking measures, but they are tolerant of lighting a lambratzia on Holy Saturday in controlled areas of churches in order for the faithful to enjoy the custom without tragedy, which is also a feasible goal.
He explained that the Police, in cooperation with the Fire Brigade and the local government authorities, act so that where wood or other flammable materials intended for lighting a lamp are found, they are removed.
Asked about the detection and confiscation of firecrackers and other illegal explosives, Mr. Kyriakou said that in 2025 the Police located and confiscated 20.500 pyrotechnic items, of which 9.000 were firecrackers. Until now in 2026, there have been 11.000 seizures of pyrotechnic items, the vast majority of which are firecrackers, he added.
Mr. Kyriakou then stressed that the possession, storage, transport and use of firecrackers is illegal, adding that the throwing of fireworks is done by licensed users whose license does not allow the possession and throwing of firecrackers.
In particular, he explained that the possession and use of firecrackers is the offense of illegal possession of explosives and is punishable by up to 10 years in prison.
Regarding firecrackers, he explained that there are two types, factory and improvised firecrackers, adding that factory firecrackers are governed by some safety rules, but they are altered by the storage/transport conditions and become particularly dangerous for the life and physical integrity of the user if they are altered. Also, noting that even factory firecrackers are particularly prone to deterioration, which is not visible and which in such a case can annihilate the time from the moment the wick is lit and an explosion occurs while the user holds them in his hands, he said that alterations during storage conditions pose risks of explosion in storage areas.
According to the Police Pyrotechnician, even more dangerous than factory firecrackers for the manufacturer/owner/user are improvised firecrackers, as the manufacture of explosives requires great precision of materials, manufacturing conditions and a series of actions and factors, which affect the safety of construction and use of explosives.
He further noted that those who hold firecrackers in their hands must understand that they have an explosive object in their hands and are subject to all possible consequences of an explosion, which can threaten their lives and integrity.
For his part, the President of the Union of Cyprus Municipalities, Andreas Vyras, told KYPE that the situation with the lampratzias and everything that accompanies the nominal custom, is very worrying.
Pointing out that the custom of lambratzia is only for Holy Saturday outside the churches with the appropriate safety measures, he added that the phenomena observed from the day after Christmas until Holy Saturday, have nothing to do with customs, nor any other version that concerns something different and beyond delinquency, and result in endangering lives and creating serious nuisance.
The state and especially the Police in cooperation with all of us must find ways to fight it so that no more lives are lost like last year and the situation improves and not worsens year by year, he added.
Answering a question, Mr. Vyras said that the municipalities are at the disposal of the Police and in daily consultation with the Police and the Fire Brigade with their crews they are constantly collecting wood. Finally, he clarified that the collection of wood and flammable materials for the lambratzia began a long time ago.
CNA
