Ahead of Halloween and New Year, Austria’s federal police and the Czech police have intensified the pressure at the border on illegal pyrotechnics. The joint crackdown runs through cross-border “focus areas”, with Bundespolizeidirektor Michael Takács briefing on the operation on 13 October 2026. The action was carried out by the Bundespolizei in close cooperation with the Czech police. It focused on stopping illegal fireworks before the peak holiday period, using intensified border controls. The latest step in the operation is this joint enforcement drive, which forms part of the broader cross-border focus launched ahead of Halloween and New Year.