People who order illegal fireworks online will be sent an email by the police containing a video message on the dangers of so-called firework bombs, RTL news reports on Tuesday.

The new campaign by the special police task force on fireworks is designed to encourage people who have ordered these dangerous fireworks to cancel their order, RTL says.

The broadcaster does not say how the police will find out who has ordered illegal fireworks online.

According to news agency ANP the task force refuses to say how it will get hold of the information. ‘If people know, they won’t do it anymore,’ a spokesman said. This could involve setting up fake websites, ANP suggested.

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Orders for firework bombs have moved from Belgium and Germany to webshops in Eastern Europe. Parcels of these explosives are then delivered by the postal service, an act punishable with a prison sentence.

The video message is designed as a personal approach to people who have placed an order and will include their initials, RTL says.

The webshops can only be tackled in their country of origin, but Dutch consumers who buy illegal fireworks can be arrested and punished.

Every year in the run up to the New Year celebrations, the police make dozens of arrests and seize thousands of kilos of illegal fireworks under the vuurwerkwet (fireworks law). This states that fireworks may only be sold to the public from licensed locations during a few days prior to December 31.