From fake medicine to weapons Customs discover numerous illegal goods in flood of parcels

A large-scale inspection by Swiss customs in the Zurich area has uncovered a large number of illegal products in parcels from abroad. The mass of online orders poses problems for the authorities.

Swiss customs recently carried out the most extensive parcel inspection in its history in the Zurich area. The officials discovered numerous illegal goods in almost 700 parcels from abroad, including medicines, counterfeit clothing and weapons.

The number of parcels imported into Switzerland is rising steadily and is expected to reach a new high of 55 million this year, compared to 47.3 million last year.

Tanja Brunner, Head of Customs in Zurich, explained that most of these parcels arrive in Switzerland by plane, as online shopping is often rushed.

From November 4 to 8, around 40 customs employees carried out a comprehensive inspection at ten locations. Over 15,000 parcels were x-rayed and around 1,500 suspicious consignments were opened. The result of this operation can be seen in a hall at Embraport in Embrach: 700 illegal parcels.

Dangerous medicines

Drugs such as erectile stimulants, doping agents and counterfeit Ozempic, a slimming drug, were found particularly frequently.

Nicolas Fotinos from Swissmedic issued an urgent warning against ordering medicines online from abroad, as counterfeit Ozempic could turn out to be normal insulin, which is dangerous for non-diabetics. There are also warnings against "detox teas" and other unclear "natural products".

It is often difficult for consumers to identify illegal pharmacies, as there are more illegal than legal offers. Websites that do not originate from Switzerland and end with ".com" should be viewed with caution. Another warning sign is a long delivery time, even though the pharmacy is supposedly based in Geneva. Most illegal medicines come from India.

Weapons disguised as toys

The warehouse also contains numerous weapons that look deceptively real but are illegal. Such soft air weapons are often sold abroad as "toys".

Andreas Wydler, Head of the Central Weapons Office at the Federal Office of Police, advises people to ask the authorities whether the weapon is legal before ordering it. The Confederation and the cantons offer appropriate advice.

The inspection also brought unusual products to light, such as a weapon set for women consisting of a cat-shaped knuckleduster, a dagger disguised as a comb and a glittering purple stun gun packed in a small handbag. The person who ordered this "self-defense set" will not receive her goods, as the confiscated products will be destroyed.

SDA