NEW YORK, USA - JUNE 20: (Photo by Tayfun Coskun/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images)
NEW YORK - FDNY Fire Marshals have arrested two men they say were smuggling more than $6,000 worth of illegal fireworks.
The marshals doing surveillance on Staten Island caught Matthew King, 35, and Rayval Singh, 22, carrying the cache of fireworks in their vehicle. They were charged on Tuesday with reckless endangerment and unlawful dealing of fireworks.
The arrests came after Mayor Bill de Blasio announced the formation of a law enforcement task force to crack down on a noisy surge in the use of illegal fireworks around the city in recent weeks.
Fireworks are illegal in New York but legal in nearby Pennsylvania, where several fireworks retailers are located near its borders with New Jersey and New York.
In recent weeks, the city has fielded numerous complaints of fireworks going off at all hours of the day and night. The NYPD said it has received more than 11,000 complaints so far in June.
A message was left with Staten Island prosecutors on Wednesday seeking the names of lawyers for King and Singh.
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NYC fireworks task force
The mayor announced the formation of a team of cops, fire marshals, and sheriff's investigators that will work to stop the spread and use of illegal fireworks.
With the Associated Press