Recently, the Costa Mesa Police Department’s Special Investigation Unit learned of a suspect selling illegal fireworks online and a subsequent investigation led them to two separate locations in a neighboring city. Detectives seized over 2,300 pounds of illegal fireworks and arrested two suspects.

Special thank you to the Orange County Sheriff’s Department, CA Bomb Squad who assisted the Costa Mesa Police Dept. with the seizure of what equaled to four pallets of illegal fireworks.

“Illegal fireworks are an issue for many communities, not just Costa Mesa; it’s a common concern that we take to heart and act on every year to serve our community,” said Chief Lawrence. “Illegal fireworks are loud, dangerous, and can be lethal, and the use of illegal fireworks during the Fourth of July week makes this one of the busiest holiday seasons for the police department. One way we address this is to confiscate illegal fireworks and remove them from the streets before the holiday occurs. I’m very proud of our team, who have already confiscated about 2,800 pounds of illegal fireworks.”

The Special Investigations Unit (SIU) is still proactively looking to take illegal fireworks off the street.