NEW YORK (1010 WINS) – Four people were arrested as a New York City task force cracks down on illegal fireworks ahead of July 4.
Three men and a woman were allegedly in possession of $8,400 worth of illegal fireworks, according to the FDNY, which said fire marshals made the arrests.
The bust came days after authorities said a sheriff's task force would be out this summer to seize illegal fireworks coming into the five boroughs.
Officers will be targeting areas where fireworks are stored and will go after known suppliers, New York City Sheriff Joseph Fucito said last week.
Fucito said most of the fireworks coming into the city are from neighboring states, where they are legal.
The 32-person New York City Sheriff's Illegal Fireworks Task Force is made up of members of the NYPD and FDNY with help from federal law enforcement.
Complaints about illegal fireworks were up 320% in the first three weeks of June 2020 compared to the same period in 2019, according to WABC.
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