First Swiss prison sentence dished out for blowing up ATMs
A man has been jailed for 74 months for blowing up an ATM - the first such sentence handed out in Switzerland amid a growing trend of cash machine robberies.
This content was published on
1 minute
swissinfo.ch/mga
Español
es
Alarmante aumento de robos con explosivos a cajeros automáticos
The 31-year-old Romanian was extradited from Austria to Switzerland after police found his DNA at the scene of the 2019 crime in the eastern canton of St Gallen.
The robbers took CHF126,600 ($134,000) in cash and caused CHF100,000 in damage, the Federal Criminal Court heard.
The convicted man, who has has already served 552 days in prison whilst awaiting trial, will be barred from entering Switzerland for 10 years once he has served his sentence.
Growing trend
Federal police have sounded the alarm at a growing number of foreign criminal gangs coming into Switzerland to explode ATMs.
The latest attack was on an ATM at a motorway service station in canton Zurich on Wednesday.
Not only are the number of attacks increasing, but police are concerned that the nature of the robberies presents a risk of injury.
“In 2019, we saw a spate of gas explosions linked to gangs in France. Since 2020, criminals have come mainly from eastern Europe using homemade explosives,” a Federal Police spokesperson told RTS on Thursday.
Coercion still an issue in Swiss welfare system, report finds
This content was published on
The rights of vulnerable people are still sometimes disregarded by the Swiss welfare system, a national research programme has found.
This content was published on
Viola Amherd has expressed her “deep shock” at the assassination attempt on Slovakian Prime Minister Robert Fico on Wednesday.
This content was published on
A man injured half a dozen people with knives, two of them seriously, before being arrested on Wednesday in northern Switzerland.
Switzerland to introduce flight passenger database
This content was published on
Switzerland plans to introduce a flight passenger database to collect and process personal data in a bid to combat terrorism and serious crime.
Government plans to invest over CHF16bn in Swiss rail network
This content was published on
The federal government intends to invest CHF16.4 billion ($18.1 billion) in railway infrastructure between 2025 and 2028, CHF2 billion more than for the current period.
Swiss to vote on pension reform and biodiversity in September
This content was published on
Swiss citizens will vote on occupational pension schemes and a biodiversity initiative on September 22, the Federal Council announced on Wednesday.
Ukraine peace talks: 50 countries have confirmed participation
This content was published on
To date, 50 countries out 160 invited delegations have confirmed they will attend the Ukraine peace conference, held in central Switzerland in mid-June, according to Swiss public radio, RTS.
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.
Read more
More
Swiss cash truck heist suspects arrested in France
This content was published on
Five people have been arrested in France accused of robbing a Swiss cash truck carrying cash and valuables worth around CHF20 million.
This content was published on
Convictions for drug abuse among minors dropped last year in Switzerland, but young people committed more violent crimes, according to official data.
Frenchman gets five years for diamond robbery from Swiss plane
This content was published on
A Belgian court sentenced French national Marc Bertoldi to five years in prison for his role in a major diamond heist on a Helvetic Airways plane.
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.