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fedpol 2022

Harvest time

Through close cooperation, and based on a lead received in 2020, a drug ring was successfully uncovered. In 2021 and 2022 cantonal police units raided several locations, making arrests and securing further evidence. Harvest time in a complex series of investigations.

Foreign law enforcement authorities raised the alarm in connection with a suspect who was smuggling drugs into Switzerland on a grand scale. The Federal Criminal Police at fedpol and the Office of the Attorney General of Switzerland took charge of a complex investigation, as it was not clear which cantons might have jurisdiction; they pursued a multitude of leads. After months of hard work, it emerged that the suspect and his accomplices were operating in 19 different cantons.

 Fighting organised crime is a challenge for the law enforcement authorities. To tackle organised crime, investigators rely on structural investigations. But what does this term mean and what do the authorities actually do?

 Structural investigations are a strategic approach to fighting organised crime. They aim not simply to solve individual crimes, but also to identify the structures and networks behind them. Ultimately the goal is to establish who is in charge of these hierarchies, pulling all the strings.

Example of a procedure of structural investigations

The first step is to gather and analyse information from various sources. These include tip-offs from informants, irregularities spotted by local government offices and police on the beat, reports from the public and intelligence from surveillance operations. Based on this information, a picture of the network is developed.

The second step is to take measures, arresting key figures and conducting raids – often in several locations at the same time. Alternatively, the network can be weakened financially by freezing its assets – an important tactic.

The law enforcement authorities in Switzerland have gained a lot of experience of structural investigations in recent years. At the same time, organised crime is agile, quick to adapt and backed by a dense international network. Cross-border police cooperation is therefore essential to the success of structural investigations.

The investigation team worked tirelessly to build a solid case, passing on leads to the cantonal police so that they could identify and arrest suspected dealers. After detailed analysis, the investigations into the main suspects ultimately focused on one canton, which took charge of the proceedings. fedpol handed over all the information it had gathered to this canton and continued its work with the law enforcement agencies in the other cantons.

 Thanks to the information that the foreign authorities provided in 2020, several prosecutions were brought in 2021/2022. They resulted in convictions and further investigations in various cantons – a success due to consistent police cooperation throughout Switzerland. A bumper harvest, so to speak.

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