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The Federal Office for Customs and Border Security (BAZG) has completed a comprehensive investigation into gold smuggling into Switzerland. It was found that old jewelry from Italy was imported into Switzerland without customs declaration, melted down, and subsequently resold. In one of the uncovered cases, approximately 190 kilograms of old jewelry were smuggled over a period of five months between 2021 and 2022. The evaded value-added tax and customs duties amount to more than 600,000 Swiss francs. The accused are charged with tax and customs evasion as well as a violation of the Precious Metals Control Act.
Investigations and Arrests
BAZG investigators were able to identify three suspects, one of whom had already been convicted in Italy for money laundering, trafficking in stolen goods, and illegal possession of firearms. This 56-year-old Italian citizen was arrested under a warrant issued by the Carabinieri in Asti. The Carabinieri worked closely with the Ticino Criminal Police to investigate the activities of the suspects. The main suspect, along with accomplices, procured the jewelry from camps of itinerants in Northern Italy and imported it into Switzerland while circumventing customs formalities. He crossed the border weekly at non-permanently staffed border crossings without declaring the goods hidden in backpacks.
After the importation, he handed over the gold to two other suspects, a 66-year-old and a 35-year-old Italian citizen residing in Switzerland. They sold the gold to a company that held a valid BAZG permit for melting precious metals. However, this permit was revoked after the illegal activities were uncovered.
Cooperation and Further Investigations
The investigations revealed that the three suspects were part of an organized gold smuggling network between Italy and Switzerland. The cross-border cooperation between partner authorities and the national collaboration with the Ticino Public Prosecutor’s Office were crucial for the success of the investigations. These included, among other things, cross-border surveillance, the exchange of files, searches, and joint seizures.
During the course of the investigations, additional branches of old gold smuggling were uncovered. This involved approximately 40 kilograms of old gold that were also smuggled from Italy to Switzerland, resold, and melted down. These investigations target three more Italian citizens living in Switzerland. In total, around 230 kilograms of gold were smuggled from Italy into Switzerland, leading to an evasion of value-added tax and customs duties amounting to approximately 800,000 Swiss francs. The BAZG will determine the penalties as part of the ongoing proceedings.
Regulations on Gold Importation
The legal provisions for controlling the trade in precious metals and precious metal goods are set out in the Federal Act on the Control of Trade in Precious Metals and Precious Metal Goods (EMKG). This regulates the trade in raw materials, melting goods, and melting products, as well as precious metal goods such as watches and jewelry. Precious metals include gold, silver, platinum, and palladium. The commercial purchase of old precious metals, the production of melting products, and the analysis of the content of melting products are activities that require a permit. Customs law follows the principle of self-declaration, according to which all imported or exported goods must be presented to the competent customs office and declared during customs clearance.
