Police officers from the Pearl City Crime Reduction Unit yesterday seized nearly 1,000 pounds of illegal aerial fireworks after spotting the explosives in a van parked in Waipi'o.

The street value of the cache is estimated at $62,000, police said. A 35-year-old Waialua man was booked on suspicion of not having a permit to transport explosives, then released pending further investigation.

Police suspect the 998 pounds of aerial fireworks were to be delivered to sellers in what is believed to be a multimillion-dollar underground business, which flourishes between Thanksgiving and early December when orders for New Year's celebrations are delivered.

"It was a random find," said Maj. Debora Tandal, commander of the Pearl City police patrol district, "and we believe it represents just the tip of an iceberg. There's a lot more out there that we're not aware of.

"It's unfortunate that some people do not realize the danger involved in riding around with explosives in their cars, because if they get into an accident and the car catches on fire, it endangers a lot of other people. It's a felony with a maximum five-year prison term."

The annual sale of illegal aerial fireworks is by word of mouth through neighborhood dealers. "It's not publicized," Tandal said.

She said aerial fireworks were set off in the Aloha Stadium parking lot Saturday before and after the University of Hawai'i-Purdue football game. Police could not determine the source, the major said.

Yesterday's seizure came after Crime Reduction Unit officers patrolling Kamehameha Highway spotted boxes labeled explosives through the open door of a 1991 Chevy van parked on the 94-800 block of Uke'e Street in Waipi'o Gentry at 1:30 p.m. The van's driver told police he did not have a permit to haul explosives and was arrested.

The recovered stash included aerials such as "Super Artillery Shells," "Triple V Bear Art," "Shock Wave," "Earth Shakers 9 Shots" and "Glitter King 12 Shots."

According to the Honolulu Fire Department, 83 of 201 alarms in the three days leading up to New Year's 2006 were for fireworks-related incidents. During that period, firefighters responded to nine structure fires, 95 brush fires, 65 rubbish fires, six trash-bin fires and 26 other fire calls.

Reach Rod Ohira at rohira@honoluluadvertiser.com.