Ms. Wildi-Cortés, the Federal Office of Police (Fedpol) is facing major challenges. Switzerland is at risk of becoming a refuge and hub for organized crime. How dramatic is the situation?

The threat is increasing rapidly. The Swiss Intelligence Service raised it from level three to level five of six in 2023. Trafficking in human beings, weapons, and narcotics is a threat to our democracy, our constitutional state, and the security of our population. If we do not want shootings and street fights like those in the Netherlands, Belgium, or Sweden, Switzerland must act now.

Which criminal groups have established themselves in Switzerland?

These include the well-known Italian 'Ndrangheta, which uses Switzerland for money laundering. But also criminal organizations from Albania that are involved in both the production and distribution of drugs; the Mocro Mafia from the Netherlands, which blows up ATMs; and Nigerian organizations like Black Axe, which earn billions worldwide through fraud and the exploitation of young women. Switzerland is very attractive to these groups.

Because of laws that are too lax?

Mainly because of the strong franc, the high purchasing power, and the political stability. What we value about Switzerland is also appreciated by criminals.

These gangs are working together more and more closely. How does this work?

Take the cocaine trade, for example: The Albanian mafia regulates the import of cocaine into Europe, which is in turn financed by the Italian mafia. As soon as the goods arrive at the port of Rotterdam, the Mocro Mafia gets involved, ensuring further transport and distribution. Local groups ultimately sell the substance in Bern or Zurich. Switzerland serves simultaneously as a transit country, transshipment point, and target market.

Is the money then laundered in barbershops and shisha bars where little is done but which can afford to set up shop in prime locations?

Not only that. Criminal groups also launder their money through bubble tea shops, pizza delivery services, or travel agencies. Last year, a travel agency in downtown Lucerne specializing in Balkan tours was the target of a major operation. Investigators monitored the travel agency for over a year. They recorded 750 visits by suspected drug and money couriers. The drug ring was controlled by the Kosovo Albanian mafia.

Federal Councilor Beat Jans has tasked you with developing a national strategy to combat organized crime by the end of the year. Hasn't that been done before?

No. That's why Fedpol is working at full speed to develop the strategy with the cantons, the Office of the Attorney General, and other authorities by the end of the year. An action plan with very specific measures is also being developed.

The EU has long had a strategy to combat organized crime. Isn't Switzerland coming too late?

We're not too late, but we must act decisively and purposefully now. Organized crime is much more abstract than terrorism. Individual offenses, the prosecution of which usually falls within the jurisdiction of the cantons, first become apparent. Only when the crimes are identified and analyzed comprehensively can their extent be assessed and the networks behind them uncovered.

What exactly should change with the new strategy?

As a first step, the strategy is primarily intended to create a common understanding of organized crime. This will enable us to identify organized crime more quickly throughout Switzerland, act more decisively in combating it, and cooperate even more closely. Common strategic directions are important for this. In particular, proposals for improving the powers of law enforcement authorities are being considered.

That sounds abstract. What's really new?

I don't want to anticipate the strategy. Money from drug and human trafficking always has to be laundered. That's where Switzerland needs to start – with barbershops, pizza delivery services, or travel agencies that serve as money launderers. Furthermore, investigators today must prove that money comes from illegal sources. This is why Italy has a so-called reversal of the burden of proof. This means that if there is suspicion, the owners must prove that the money came from legal sources. If they fail to provide this proof, the money is confiscated and goes into the state coffers.

Do you want to introduce this in Switzerland as well?

We are continually reviewing which changes at the legislative level could make our operational work more efficient.

The number of suspicious activity reports submitted to the Money Laundering Reporting Office operated by Fedpol has doubled within the last two years.

The increase is massive. Fedpol has therefore increased its capacity in this area and is now attempting to mitigate the situation somewhat through automation, IT tools, and risk-based prioritization.

What proportion of suspected illegal money flows into cryptocurrencies?

It's growing and growing. It's easier to conceal the origin of money with cryptocurrencies. Furthermore, this sector is less regulated than the traditional financial sector.

Does the reporting office have enough crypto specialists?

Fedpol has also increased its resources in this area and is using new software to analyze cryptocurrency money flows that can analyze transaction flows more efficiently.

The other side had already upgraded its security years ago, for example with its own encrypted messaging service, Sky ECC, the WhatsApp for criminals. European police authorities succeeded in hacking the platform in March 2021.

Today, everything happens via chats – and on the internet. The hack was a major coup. A blow that helps uncover and prove the machinations of criminal networks, and understand the connections between the clans in order to dismantle the networks.

But recent research by the “NZZ am Sonntag” newspaper has shown that it is controversial whether the evidence can even be used in court.

It would be devastating if the data were not allowed to be used as evidence. At one point, around 3,000 user profiles were active on the messaging service in the Swiss mobile network. Less than half of the data has been analyzed yet, and 60 criminal proceedings are already underway in Switzerland. This demonstrates how widespread criminal networks are in Switzerland.

The focus in the coming years will be on combating organized crime. Is Fedpol losing sight of the threat of terrorism?

Combating terrorism remains a priority. The greatest threat currently comes from lone perpetrators. We are concerned that radicalized individuals are becoming younger and younger, and that radicalization is occurring ever more rapidly, even behind closed doors in children's bedrooms. A Europol report clearly shows that children and young people are increasingly being abused for criminal activities. The most recent case known to us in Switzerland involved an 11-year-old.

What did this 11-year-old do? Did he become radicalized by Islam?

We cannot address this because it is a cantonal case and privacy protection must be observed, especially in the case of minors.

Terrorists, ATM bombers, and other criminals cross European borders at will. Do you want stricter border controls like those currently implemented in Germany?

Especially when it comes to organized crime, we must be aware that it is a real and existing threat in Switzerland. But organized crime is a part of our society. And when it comes to terrorism, we are currently confronted with "homegrown" radicals.

In the areas of terrorism and child pornography, Switzerland is heavily dependent on US investigative findings. Has information been flowing as it used to since Donald Trump took office?

The United States is an important partner that has greater capabilities in gathering information and provides us with important information. If we were to stop receiving this information, it would be disastrous. Since the new administration took office, we have therefore been monitoring the flow of information very closely. So far, it has continued at the same rate.

And what if that were no longer the case?

Without information from the US, we would likely see considerably less activity in areas like terrorism. However, the European police agency Europol is at least as important. Criminal networks operate across borders. Every country needs information from other countries to combat terrorism and organized crime. Otherwise, it is powerless.

Europe is undergoing a military buildup. Her predecessor, Nicoletta della Valle, complained that this was coming at the expense of internal security. She once calculated that Switzerland would have to do without one and a half F-35 jets so that the Federal Police (Fedpol) could have more resources for internal security. Do you share this opinion?

We need both internal and external security. I don't want to pit the two against each other, but rather emphasize their importance.

But in your area, people have been warning for years about a lack of resources.

That's true. That's why I welcome the fact that the Swiss Federal Audit Office (SFAO) is currently conducting a comprehensive resource review at Fedpol. Among other things, this examines whether Fedpol has sufficient investigative resources to fulfill its statutory mandate.

The shortage appears to be particularly pronounced at the Federal Criminal Police, which is under your control. According to a report, the arrest of a white-collar criminal was delayed for three months due to a lack of personnel.

The situation here is indeed urgent. I hope that the SFAO's investigation will provide solid evidence that more resources are needed. Not only at the Federal Criminal Police, but also, for example, at the Money Laundering Reporting Office. Because successful proceedings require all units of Fedpol.

National cooperation between police forces is also inefficient. Police forces still have to send countless emails to obtain wanted information from other cantons. Each police force has to be contacted individually. How can you possibly stand a chance against criminal networks?

Switzerland urgently needs to make progress here. The nationwide exchange of information between the cantons must be possible as soon as possible using the police query platform (Polap). Both the cantons and we are working to create the necessary foundations as quickly as possible. At the federal level, this requires a constitutional amendment, including a referendum. We plan to have a draft for a constitutional amendment and a legislative amendment ready this year.

Organized crime is spreading rapidly. Does Switzerland have the time?

Speed ??is needed. That's why the cantons are laying the necessary foundations in parallel with the federal government.

Fedpol faces crucial years ahead. This requires motivated staff. However, a survey published by the "NZZ am Sonntag" newspaper recently shows that half of the staff no longer had confidence in your predecessor, Nicoletta della Valle. She practiced a highly hierarchical leadership culture, and many could not understand her decisions. How do you regain their trust?

We have very dedicated people. I trust them and want to give them as much freedom of action as possible and delegate responsibility. I'm a different person than my predecessor and have been practicing a different leadership style for years.

The staff complained not only about the management style but also about excessive workloads. Where do you start?

The police are under pressure, and the dynamic working environment will remain equally challenging. Therefore, strategic decisions must be made to set the right priorities, sharpen the role of Fedpol, and focus on operational matters. I hope that by adjusting processes and reducing administrative idleness, we will gain resources that can be used to address the right priorities.

(Source: NZZ)