Threats to Swiss security listed

The threats to Switzerland's internal security continue to include Islamic terrorism, organised crime and extremist violence, the Federal Police Office says.

In its annual report on internal security published on Tuesday, Fedpol said it had no specific indications that acts of Islamic terrorism or violent extremism were being planned in Switzerland, but pointed out that networks had the potential to become operational.

Groups from the states of the former Soviet Union and from southeastern Europe involved in organised crime continue to pose a threat, it said.

The report added that a worsening of the conflicts in Turkey, Iraq and Sri Lanka had increased the danger of extremist violence in Switzerland. The government had taken measures designed to limit the activities of the Kurdish Workers’ Party, the PKK, after a series of fires blamed on its supporters.

The report also noted the successful introduction of the Schengen Information System that allows European police forces to exchange data, and the special tasks performed during the Euro 2008 football tournament.

Fedpol, which has a staff of about 800, supports Swiss and international security agencies in fighting crime. It deals with serious offences such as terrorism, organised crime, economic crime and money laundering.

Other types of crime are dealt with by cantonal police forces.

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