In an interview with the Tamedia group on Thursday, Nicoletta della Valle said Fedpol lacked around 200 investigators. Switzerland had turned from a place of retreat into a theatre of operations for organised crime, she added.
Della Valle said Switzerland could not afford to have overstretched investigators risking burn-out – and for the mafia to make itself comfortable in Switzerland. The presence of the mafia in Switzerland is not noticeable as on the surface they appear to be industrious citizens, she explained.
“The mafia takes jobs away from the economy,” she said. “It does this, for example, with cheap bids for construction projects. Workers are exploited, environmental regulations are ignored and shoddy materials are used.”
In Switzerland there are not enough police forces to fight organised crime, she claimed. “We also have to ask ourselves exactly which residence permits we issue and whom we naturalise.”
Already in June, della Valle called for better cooperation between the cantons.
This content was published on
The UN Human Rights Council approved the launch of this mechanism in Geneva on Friday, to be followed by an International Commission of Inquiry.
More than 100 wolves shot in Switzerland last year
This content was published on
Swiss hunters legally killed 101 wolves between February 1, 2024, and the end of January 2025. A further six died in accidents or from natural causes.
Swiss health office turns to Bluesky against backdrop of US censorship
This content was published on
The Swiss Federal Office of Public Health (FOPH) has joined the Bluesky social network, while US President Donald Trump works with X owner Elon Musk to censor content on official US websites.
Biotech company BioVersys is first Swiss IPO of 2025
This content was published on
The Basel-based biotech company BioVersys made the first initial public offering (IPO) of the year in Switzerland on Friday.
Much more spent on Swiss motorway vote campaigns than budgeted
This content was published on
Opponents and supporters of motorway expansion spent over CHF10 million ($11 million) on their campaigns, around a third more than announced in November.
Swiss researchers monitor animal populations with AI microphone
This content was published on
Researchers in Lausanne are using an intelligent microphone to make the animal world audible. The microphone automatically records animal sounds over large areas and analyses them using AI.
Three employees of Swiss aid organisation killed in DRC
This content was published on
Three employees of the Swiss Protestant Reformed Church (Heks) have been killed in an attack in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). They were on a humanitarian mission in the crisis region.
This content was published on
All our waters today are pure at source," Muriel Lienau, general manager of Nestlé Waters, told AFP after press revelations.
Switzerland concerned about impact of US withdrawal from WHO
This content was published on
Switzerland has expressed concern about the loss of American experts and the freezing of contracts due to the announced withdrawal of the US from the World Health Organization (WHO).
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
Mafia numbers in Switzerland higher than previously thought
This content was published on
Significantly more members of the Italian Mafia live in Switzerland than previously assumed, according to the Federal Office of Police.
Swiss and Italian prosecutors set their sights on Calabrian mafia
This content was published on
Swiss and Italian authorities are leading joint investigative operations to crack down on mafiosi, says Italy’s top mafia prosecutor.
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.