Published on 17 July 2024

Organized Crime

The Organized Crime field of crime is responsible for the prosecution of associative offences (participation in or support of a criminal organization), as well as offences committed by criminal organizations to expand their influence within the Swiss economic and social fabric. This prosecutorial activity is a strategic priority of the Office of the Attorney General of Switzerland (OAG) and is carried out in close cooperation with partners at both the national and international levels.

A favorable geographic location, a stable economy, and an attractive financial center — Switzerland also offers a conducive environment for criminal organizations that pursue both legal and illegal interests within its territory. This commitment requires a high level of coordination with national and international partners. In this context, the OAG plays a proactive role in promoting dialogue with partner authorities in Switzerland and abroad.

Combating criminal organizations requires an ever-increasing degree of specialization and flexibility on the part of prosecution authorities, which must continuously adapt to the evolving dynamics and changes characterizing this field. In this context, dialogue and the exchange of knowledge and best practices are of fundamental importance.

In Switzerland, criminal prosecution in this area is a joint responsibility shared between the federal and cantonal authorities, each possessing distinct competences and instruments. At the national level, efforts are underway to further strengthen cooperation with the cantons, which play a key role in combating criminal organizations. Dialogue, the development of strategic synergies, and the exchange of information are crucial to ensuring effective coordination between prosecuting authorities and other actors capable of detecting indications of the presence of criminal organizations. This objective is pursued nationally through specialized working groups established within coordination bodies.

Investigations conducted by the OAG in this field are initiated in relation to a range of criminal offences; however, in most cases, the central element is the suspicion of supporting or participating in a criminal organization (Art. 260ter SCC). The majority of proceedings against criminal organizations led by the OAG concern mafia-type groups, often of Italian origin. In this context, the Italian authority, the Direzione Nazionale Antimafia e Antiterrorismo (DNAA), represents an indispensable partner, alongside the various district anti-mafia directorates in Italy. Over the years, valuable and strategically significant cooperation has developed with these entities, both in the exchange of information and in the facilitation and coordination of investigations, which, from an operational standpoint, are often conducted within the framework of Joint Investigation Teams (JITs).