Nigerian police patrol in St Gallen

To help the fight against the drugs trade, a Nigerian policeman has joined Swiss colleagues on patrol in the eastern town of St Gallen.

The visit is part of a pilot project, which started on Monday and runs until the end of October, in which the cantons of Geneva and Zug are also participating.

St Gallen and Geneva are regarded as centres for the cocaine trade, while Zug attracts economic crime and money laundering.

In 2010, Switzerland received more asylum requests from Nigeria – 1,969 – than from anywhere else. In February 2011, the two countries signed a declaration of intent on immigration, following which Switzerland hopes fewer Nigerians will seek asylum, while Nigeria wants better relations and more help from the Swiss.

The fight against the drugs trade is part of the agreement. The Nigerian policemen will be shown how the Swiss police are structured and how they work.

St Gallen hopes to learn more about how drug crime is structured from the Nigerian police, and also to put pressure on the dealers.

While in St Gallen the Nigerians will accompany their local colleagues in making checks on the drugs scene and in keeping order at football matches.