Nurdin Hasan, Banda Aceh – Shariah police in Aceh have confiscated thousands of fireworks, firecrackers and trumpets in the provincial capital as they enforce local ulemas' call for a ban on New Year's Eve festivities.

The items were seized from dozens of shops and street vendors in Banda Aceh on Monday evening, said Reza Kamilin, an official with the Banda Aceh Shariah Police. Members of local police and public order agency (Satpol PP) joined the shariah police officers in the raid, he said.

"The raid was conducted to anticipate 2014 New Year's Eve celebrations by people in Banda Aceh because, in accordance with a joint call by the Banda Aceh administration and an edict by the Banda Aceh office of the Ulema Consultative Assembly [MPU], there should no celebrations of any kind for New Year's Eve," Reza said on Tuesday.

He added that his office had announced the ban two weeks because "it is haram, according to the MPU edict."

Female officers were seen patrolling and using loud speakers to inform locals not to organize or engage in such celebrations.

The Banda Aceh office of the MPU issued the edict in November. It also forbade extending Christmas greetings to Christians.

Reza said none of the sellers of the seized items protested the raid. "They did not protest because they feel guilty for selling banned items," he said. "Some of the confiscated firecrackers are high explosives. We haven't decided if we should destroy the seized [items] or return them to the owners after New Year's."

Reza said that his office would continue to patrol the capital's main arteries, hotels and cafes to prevent any New Year's festivities. "If we meet any crowd, we will disperse it," he said. "And if anyone carries firecrackers, fireworks of trumpets, we will confiscate them."

Aceh, Indonesia's westernmost province, is the only region in Indonesia implementing shariah-inspired bylaws.