Nearly 13,500 pounds of illegal fireworks confiscated at Honolulu Harbor

HONOLULU (HawaiiNewsNow) - Nearly 13,500 pounds of illegal fireworks were recently discovered at a port in Hawaii, the U.S. Coast Guard said.

Officials said the street-value of the illegal fireworks found at Honolulu Harbor was estimated at $2.7 million.

The Coast Guard said the fireworks were removed in a safe manner and have since been destroyed in an appropriate disposal facility.

This discovery comes following the announcement of a strike force being formed to monitor cargo shipments to Hawaii more closely.

Seventy-five inspectors from multiple federal and state agencies are working with shipping companies to check cargo containers in ports across the islands.

As part of the operation, teams also inspected 83 hazardous and general cargo containers at five different locations across Honolulu Harbor and detained nine improperly shipped containers for issues such as structural damage and undeclared hazardous materials.

They also checked 495 transportation worker credentials and completed a scan of the entire Port of Honolulu for radiation and weapons of mass destruction.

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