As Easter approaches, police have intensified their efforts to address juvenile delinquency and uncontrolled firework displays, bomb squad officer Paris Kyriakou said on Saturday.

According to Kyriakou, a total of 11,000 seizures of fireworks and firecrackers have been recorded in 2026, with the vast majority being the latter.

This marks a similar trend to 2025, when almost half of the 20,500 fireworks – 9,000 in total – were firecrackers.

He emphasised that the storing, transportation and possession of firecrackers is illegal and licenses for the launching of fireworks do not include firecrackers and is punishable by up to ten years in prison.

He warned that homemade firecrackers are even more dangerous than factory-made ones, and appealed to those using them to be aware that they are holding an explosive object and could face the consequences of an explosion, and could threaten their life and wellbeing.

Kyriakou said that the police have launched an awareness campaign to inform the public about the dangers of firecrackers and fireworks, while at the same time conducting a campaign to curb juvenile delinquency.

In addition to media and social media campaigns, police have been patrolling so-called “high-risk areas” including parks, open spaces, churches and any other locations where the illegal use of pyrotechnics has been reported, in addition to visiting schools to inform pupils accordingly.

Moreover, Kyriakou said heightened patrols are being carried out along legal entry points, where it is thought illicit fireworks are smuggled across the Green Line.

He said many are imported from Spain and Poland. Meanwhile, most firecrackers that are smuggled across the Green Line originate in Turkey.

Larnaca mayor and president of the union of Cyprus municipalities Andreas Vyras told CNA that the situation surrounding traditional Easter bonfires, lambradjies, and all that accompanies this custom is “very worrying.”

He pointed out that the lambradjies custom is only practised outside churches on Holy Saturday, with the appropriate security measures in place, stressing that the lighting of firecrackers and smaller fires observed from the day after Christmas until Holy Saturday had “nothing to do” with the lambradjies custom or any other similar practice and were delinquent in nature as they put lives at risk and cause serious nuisance.