Serious crime – fedpol Report

Serious crime
Radicalisation: clicks that lead to action

The police often observe a similar pattern: young people are drawn into a spiral of online radicalisation, fuelled by social media content that reinforces their initial convictions.

Untouchable? Think again!

A small, unassuming shop on a busy downtown street in central Switzerland. For several months, a number of men have been coming and going, unremarkable and routine. What initially appears to be ordinary business activity turns out may be hub for a drug and money laundering network.
Phishing scam by an international network uncovered

A bank client in Switzerland googles the address of the e-banking portal, clicks on one of the search results, enters her login details, and becomes a victim. The website turns out to be a perfect copy, created by criminals who can now access and use her data in real time.
Successful strike against international people smuggling ring

Combating organised crime, particularly international people smuggling, is one of fedpol’s top priorities. In cooperation with the French law enforcement agencies and the Office of the Attorney General of Switzerland, fedpol investigators have brought down a well-organised people smuggling ring that was illegally bringing people from the Russian North Caucasus to Western Europe.
In the eye of the storm

What on the surface appeared to be a local raid was actually part of a global operation against Nigerian brotherhoods, which engage in drug trafficking, fraud and money laundering across entire continents. Their victims lose everything: money, trust and freedom.
AI for child pornography: can it be morally acceptable?

The website of 28-year-old Rasmus* from Denmark contains thousands and thousands of images of children, mainly girls. Yet, there may not be any victims, because Rasmus produced all the images himself using artificial intelligence (AI). An international case that has also led investigators to Switzerland.
A difficult year for the Plofkraker

In 2024, there was a record number of cases of ATMs being blown up. At the same time, there were also several major successes. Handcuffs clicked round one pair of wrists after another as months of investigations led to arrests in France and Switzerland.
International justice served

Ousman Sonko, the former Gambian Minister of the Interior, thought he would find refuge in Switzerland having served under his country’s authoritarian regime. Accused of crimes against humanity, he was arrested in 2017 and sentenced to 20 years in prison in 2024. A complex investigation conducted by fedpol on behalf of Office of the Attorney General of Switzerland enabled the authorities to piece together the repressive system that he had been part of.
Hamas code

The Hamas attack on Israel on 7 October 2023 prompted the introduction of a law that would change Switzerland. Four days after the attack, the Federal Council quickly reclassified Hamas as a terrorist organisation. On 22 October 2023, fedpol was instructed to draft a law proscribing Hamas. This legislation is expected to come into effect in May 2025.