PHILADELPHIA — As the Fourth of July holiday approaches, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives Philadelphia Field Division is warning Pennsylvanians about the dangers of illegal explosive devices and is encouraging the public to report their manufacture and sales for the safety of their community.
“You risk your own and your family’s safety when you use or even just handle Illegal explosive devices,” said Eric DeGree, Special Agent in Charge of the ATF Philadelphia Field Division. “Their manufacture, storage and handling puts neighborhoods in danger of explosions and fire. When you buy them, you’re supporting dangerous criminal activity.”
The ATF says these dangerous devices are a particular concern in Pennsylvania, which accounted for almost 20% of all of its illegal explosive device investigations nationwide since 2020.
To tackle the problem, ATF Philadelphia works with state and local fire and police agencies as well as federal law enforcement agencies like the U.S. Postal Inspection Service to prevent manufacture and sales, and to hold perpetrators accountable.
Tim Brooks, a Certified Explosive Specialist Bomb Technician from the Philadelphia Police Department Bomb Disposal Unit assigned to the ATF Philadelphia Arson and Explosives Task Force, is all too familiar with the danger posed by these devices.
“These are extremely sensitive to heat, shock and friction," he said. "As they are illegally manufactured there is no safety oversight and no quality control. The fillers inside occasionally contain small rocks that when bumped together can cause the slightest spark and set these off.”
The devices, which can go off unexpectedly, cause extensive property damage, devastating physical injuries – especially to arms and eyes, and deaths every year, according to ATF.
The agency actively regulates and investigates the illegal use of explosives as part of its core mission.
Under federal explosives law, it is illegal to manufacture, store, distribute, receive or transport explosive materials without a federal explosives license or permit, ATF says.
Violations are punishable with up to 10 years in federal prison.
It is important to distinguish illegal explosives from regular consumer fireworks, ATF said.
Here are some signs that a device may be an illegal explosive device:
- They are sold in a non-commercial location, such as out of a vehicle or residence.
- The person with the device has no evidence of a receipt or commercial packaging, or they cannot tell you where they originally purchased it.
- The device is often 1-6 inches long and up to an inch or more in diameter.
- The casing resembles a roll of coins with a fuse. Some outer shells are made of cardboard tubes.
- The outer covering is red, silver or brown in color.
- The device looks oddly shaped and wrapped in brown paper that may be filled with an explosive material.
These devices should not be handled if you have or find one, ATF said. Anyone with such explosives (or items they think may be explosives) should act with extreme care and contact their police or fire departments for guidance. Either call the ATF tip line below or 911 to turn it over. The authorities will coordinate for proper safe handling and disposal.
To protect yourself and your community ATF urges the public to report manufacturing or sales to your local police or ATF tip line at 888-ATF-BOMB (283-2662), 888-ATF-TIPS (283-8477), ATFTips@atf.gov, or http://atf.gov/atf-tips.
“We want everyone to have a happy and safe 4th of July and summer,” said DeGree. “Don’t let dangerous illegal explosives ruin your summer – or your life.”
