Kudus Police Sell Fireworks Raw Materials on Social Media

Fireworks powder from the Kudus Police, Central Java. ANTARA/HO. Humas Polres Kudus

Kudus - The Kudus Police in Central Java (Java) has intensified cyber patrols to uncover the circulation of firecrackers and their ingredients during Ramadan.

This patrol was carried out following the prevalence of online transactions which became a new modus operandi to avoid the supervision of officers.

"Cyber patrols during the Ramadan fasting period need to be increased, because fireworks are usually rampant in this month," said Kudus Police Chief Heru Dwi Purnomo in Kudus, Tuesday, quoted by Antara.

He revealed that the transaction of fireworks raw materials is now carried out through social media with the cash on delivery (COD) method to avoid the supervision of the police. Therefore, in addition to field supervision, monitoring in the digital space has become the main focus of the police.

The results of cyber patrols since the beginning of Ramadan have yielded results with the discovery of the circulation of 15.5 kilograms of petasan or mercon drug powder. In the disclosure, the police also secured three people suspected of being involved in the circulation network.

Even though he managed to uncover the circulation in large quantities, the Police Chief emphasized that supervision would still be increased to prevent unwanted incidents.

He said that there have been several explosions in several areas due to firecrackers that endanger the safety of the community.

Meanwhile, the Acting Head of the Criminal Investigation Unit, AKP Kanzi Fathan, explained that the disclosure of the case began with a cyber patrol that found indications of selling fireworks raw materials through social media with a COD system. The Opsnal Team of the Criminal Investigation Unit then conducted an investigation to confirm the information and map the distribution network.

After it was known that there was a plan to carry out the transaction, officers carried out the action in the Taman OASIS Djarum area, Gondangmanis Village, Bae District, Kudus. At that location, the police arrested a teenager with the initials MRA (16) with evidence of 1 kilogram of ready-made firecracker powder on February 19, 2026.

From the results of the examination, MRA admitted that he obtained the material from FA (21). The police then carried out an expansion that led to MAS (52) who was suspected as the main supplier.

MAS was secured at his home in Pati Regency. From this location, the police seized 14.5 kilograms of ready-to-use firecracker raw materials and one scale unit that was suspected of being used to measure powder before being marketed.

It is known that MAS is a repeat offender in a similar case related to the manufacture and sale of firecracker raw materials. To the officers, the perpetrator admitted to producing his own firecracker powder by mixing certain chemicals, then selling it for Rp. 200 thousand per kilogram through social media.

"We will not give space to the circulation of petasan raw materials because it is very risky to cause explosions that can cause casualties and environmental damage," he said.

The police also appealed to the public, especially parents, to increase supervision of children so that they are not involved in the production, storage, and use of firecrackers.

For their actions, the three perpetrators were charged with Article 306 of the Indonesian Law Number 1/2023 concerning the Criminal Code.