Police seize more than 2,000 pounds of illegal fireworks in San Leandro

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Police in San Leandro seized more than 2,000 pounds of illegal, explosive fireworks on Tuesday. 

Officials said there was such a large quantity of fireworks at the scene that the Alameda County Sheriff's Bomb Squad had to respond. 

Police said at around 10 p.m. they were investigating two "suspicious men" at a storage facility at 1100 Davis Street after receiving a call that two men and their vehicle were inside of the locked gates at the facility after business hours.

The two men, only described as a 41-year-old from Oakland and a 51-year-old from Fremont, were seen unloading boxes from a storage locker and putting them into a storage van. 

Officers discovered the contents of the boxes were explosive, aerial fireworks capable of projecting up to 125 feet into the air. %INLINE%

Police said the men cooperated with them and were released from the scene after being interviewed. Investigators are trying to determine where the fireworks came from. Once the investigation is complete, police will forward the case to the Alameda County District Attorney for charging. 

“Although the display of fireworks on July 4th may be a tradition for many, they can be extremely dangerous,” stated Lt. Robert McManus.  “In years past, the use of fireworks has been the cause of several fires throughout the Bay Area, as well as the cause of serious injury to those who light them off.  The loud explosions are harmful to pets and animals.  Please refrain from using any fireworks, and notify police if you see anyone using them, where they are prohibited.” he said.

The fireworks were disposed of in a safe manner, police said in a statement. 

Some of the explosive fireworks recovered Tuesday night include:

• 5” XL “Barrel Bombs”
• 5-shot XL “Roman Candles”
• 1” Mini-Artillery Plastic Balls
• 192-shot, rapid fire “Barrage Candles”