Border guards made a record number of seizures of counterfeit goods in 2010, the Federal Customs Administration announced on Tuesday.

They also intercepted three times more smuggled food items than in 2009.

Leather articles and jewelry accounted for more than half the 2,741seizures of fakes. Other popular items were clothes and accessories such as scarves, hats and sunglasses.

A total of about 826 tonnes of smuggled food items were discovered. Fruit and vegetables accounted for 585 tonnes, edible oils for 78 tonnes and meat for 57 tonnes. Other illegal items were fake or non-approved medicines and exotic animals.

As for drugs, about 77.8 kilogrammes of hashish and 79kg of marijuana were seized at the border, against 48.7 and 46 respectively in 2009. Heroin seizures were also up from 29.6kg to 31.5, but the amount of cocaine fell from 280.2 to 180.5.

Border guard chief Jürg Noth said 80 wanted people and 994 stolen objects had been identified at the border thanks to the Schengen Information System under which European countries exchange information about crimes.

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