Swiss police break up major Chinese trafficking ring

The five defendants are accused of luring 146 Chinese women to Switzerland in order to force them into prostitution. Keystone-SDA

Bern cantonal police have smashed a major human trafficking ring. Five people are accused of luring over 100 Chinese women to Switzerland to exploit them as sex workers. The complex case will soon be brought to court.

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The five defendants are accused of luring 146 Chinese women to Switzerland in order to force them into prostitution. The victims were housed in flats that they were afraid to leave and had to pay half their wages to the alleged pimps.

Annatina Schultz, the attorney general of canton Bern, told reporters on Monday that more details would be given once the indictments had been completed.

Since 2008, a total of 41 convictions for human trafficking have been handed down in canton Bern. Most of the cases involved sexual exploitation.

More flexible data exchange

The director of security for canton Bern, Philippe Müller, and Police Commander Christian Brenzikofer stressed the complexity of such investigations. Both argued in favour of revising legislation to make data exchange more flexible.

“The exchange of information with foreign authorities is sometimes almost easier than with the authorities of other cantons,” Müller pointed out, referring to the legal limits facing investigators.

For the director of security, it takes more than indignation and dismay to combat this form of crime. The police commander added that without political support, the police could not do their job effectively.

Exploitation linked to the sex trade plays an important role in human trafficking. Last year, 208 victims contacted the specialist unit FIZ Advocacy and Support for Migrant Women and Victims of Trafficking. For 59 others, an examination is underway or is not possible due to a loss of contact. Of the 208 victims treated, FIZ identified 159 as victims of human trafficking for sexual exploitation.

Translated from French by DeepL/sb

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