Police complain about reduced support from Swiss intelligence service

The FIS building in Bern. Keystone/Peter Klaunzer

The reorganisation of the Federal Intelligence Service (FIS) has been to the detriment of counter-terrorism and counter-espionage, claim some police forces.

According to the NZZ am Sonntag newspaper, several cantonal police forces have complained of “insufficient” information from the FIS. The operational areas of violent extremism are also affected, the newspaper reports. The Director of Swiss Federal Intelligence Service, Christan Dussey, explained to the conference of police commanders in May that FIS employees had been seconded to carry out organisational work.

When questioned by the NZZ am Sonntag, the FIS denied it had diverted resources away from counter-terrorism and counter-espionage and added that it had “always carried out its preventive tasks, despite the reorganisation”.

Adapted from French by DeepL/ac

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