Mafia numbers in Switzerland higher than previously thought
The Mafiosi are mainly based in the border cantons of Ticino, Graubünden and Valais
Keystone
Significantly more members of the Italian Mafia live in Switzerland than previously assumed, according to the Federal Office of Police (Fedpol). It has confirmed an estimate by Italian prosecutors and experts that around 400 Mafiosi live in Switzerland.
This content was published on
2 minutes
Keystone-SDA/ts
Русский
ru
Итальянских мафиози в Швейцарии больше, чем предполагалось
The NZZ am Sonntag quoted Italian experts who claim there are about 20 Mafia cells with 400 members in Switzerland. However, a Fedpol spokesman told the news agency Keystone-SDA that the number could be even higher, as “not everything” is seen.
Fedpol’s annual report for 2019 said the office had knowledge of around 100 members in Switzerland, mostly of the Calabrian ‘Ndrangheta, but also of the Sicilian Cosa Nostra and the Neapolitan Camorra. This corresponds to what is concretely seen in investigations and analyses, the Fedpol spokesman said.
The Mafiosi are mainly based in the border cantons of Ticino, Graubünden and Valais as well as in urban centres and agglomerations, according to Fedpol.
“They’ve been in Switzerland for years, don’t stand out, are well integrated and have jobs,” the spokesman said.
According to the 2019 report, Fedpol imposed 11 entry bans on Mafia members in 2019 and four the year before. Entry bans had also been imposed in previous years.
Arrests
The report said Switzerland, located in the heart of Europe, is often used as a retreat that can be entered and left equally quickly. “Switzerland is a connection point for the clans in southern Italy and is therefore an ideal logistical platform for Mafiosi,” it said.
On Tuesday the Italian and Swiss authorities arrested 75 people in a joint raid against the ’Ndrangheta. The 75 arrested are accused of Mafia association, international drug trafficking, money laundering, false registration of assets and corruption.
The joint action was linked to criminal proceedings being conducted by the Swiss Office of the Attorney General involving six Italian nationals, most of whom live in Switzerland.
Has your continent reached its peak or is there still potential for economic growth?
Some regions of the world are on an upward trajectory with the promise of a steadily improving future. Where do you live? And in which direction is your region or continent developing?
Swiss citizens will also participate in flotilla against Gaza blockade
This content was published on
Swiss citizens are also taking part in the worldwide flotilla that intends to break the sea blockade in Gaza. The Waves of Freedom Association (WOFA) plans to leave with five boats loaded with baby milk powder and water filters.
Switzerland commemorates Italian partisans who died escaping fascists
This content was published on
Italian partisans tried to flee to Switzerland in October 1944. However, two died and a third was injured in a hail of bullets between their fascist pursuers and Swiss border guards in Ticino. They are now commemorated by so-called stumble stones.
Switzerland follows the EU with new sanctions against Russian oil
This content was published on
Switzerland is stepping up its sanctions against Russia in the context of the war in Ukraine. The measures are aimed at Russia's oil windfall. The European Union (EU) approved the same package of sanctions, the 18th since the start of the war, in mid-July.
Swiss government makes a case for e-ID ahead of referendum
This content was published on
The electronic-ID is secure and easy to use and its use is voluntary and free of charge: these are the arguments the government made in its campaign for a 'Yes' vote on the e-ID Act slated for September 28.
Switzerland trials muzzles and electric harps against Asian hornets
This content was published on
Scientists have fitted several beehives in Cornol in canton Jura with electric harps and muzzles to electrocute and stop Asian hornets.
Record number of fawns saved by Swiss drone volunteers
This content was published on
Thousands of fawns were saved from the blades of mowers thanks to volunteers equipped with drones with thermal imaging cameras.
This content was published on
Houses and flats became more expensive again in the first half of the year. In the second quarter of 2025 in particular, momentum increased across Switzerland due to high demand and low interest rates.
Iranian director Mohammad Rasoulof receives first Locarno City of Peace Award
This content was published on
The new award was created to strengthen Locarno’s role as a symbol of dialogue and peaceful coexistence, and to mark the centenary of the 1925 Locarno Treaties – a crucial milestone in twentieth-century European diplomacy.
In 2019, Switzerland deported those with Italian mafia or jihadist links
This content was published on
In 2019, Switzerland’s Federal Office of PoliceExternal link (Fedpol) ordered the deportation of four men from Switzerland in order to guarantee the country’s internal and external security, the German-language weekly NZZ am Sonntag External linkreports. In a first for Switzerland, two of these men were expelled because of their alleged membership in the Italian mafia. The other two…
This content was published on
An Italian man living near the Swiss capital has been handed a prison sentence for his membership in and support of the ’Ndrangheta.
Two Calabrian mafia members to be extradited to Italy
This content was published on
The Italian extradition requests are based on a judgement released in October 2014 by a Calabrian court. The two Italian citizens had been sentenced in their absence to nine and six years in prison respectively. The justice office said in a statement on Wednesday that the conditions for extradition had been fulfilled. The two Italians…
Mafiosi arrested in 260-tonne Swiss chocolate heist
This content was published on
In August 2014, more than €7 million (CHF7.6 million) worth of chocolate was stolen from a Milan warehouse belonging to Swiss luxury chocolate maker Lindt & Sprüngli. Fifty tonnes of Lindor chocolate balls were later found in a warehouse in Nola, near Mount Vesuvius, and 20 tonnes in Sezze, between Rome and Naples, but the…
This content was published on
“The biggest danger is posed by the ’Ndrangheta.” This was the view of the Swiss Strategy for Combatting Organised Crime 2012-2015, released by the government at the end of March. Even if no serious acts of violence have been committed like those in the German city of Duisburg in 2007, when six people from Calabria…
You can find an overview of ongoing debates with our journalists here . Please join us!
If you want to start a conversation about a topic raised in this article or want to report factual errors, email us at english@swissinfo.ch.