Swiss customs investigates over 200 tons of smuggled meat
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The Federal Office for Customs and Border Security intercepted around 208 tonnes of smuggled meat at border crossings in 2024. Most of this was smuggled into Switzerland on a commercial basis, i.e. in an organised and coordinated manner.
The smuggling often took place in smaller consignments that were brought into Switzerland in private vehicles or small vans – sometimes unrefrigerated, as reported by the Federal Office for Customs and Border Security (FOCBS) on Tuesday.
The smugglers attempted to transport cheap meat products produced abroad into Switzerland without paying customs duties and import taxes and to sell them locally at Swiss prices. This can have both health and economic consequences.
Over the last three years, more than 500 tonnes of meat have been smuggled into Switzerland. Serious offences can be punished with heavy fines and prison sentences. Foreign offenders can be expelled from the country.
In 2024, the FOCBS collected a total of around CHF23.7 billion ($27 billion), which roughly corresponds to the revenue from the previous year. With this revenue from various taxes and duties, including VAT and mineral oil tax, the FOCBS contributes around a third of total federal revenue.
Translated from German by DeepL/jdp
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