Meat-lover flouts Swiss law with 70kg import

The woman, a 27-year-old Spaniard living in Basel, was travelling on a bus from Weil-am-Rhein in Germany to Basel when she was caught with the contraband, reported news agency ATS.

She was transporting the meat – mostly pork and poultry – along with 24 litres of cooking oil in two bags and two shopping trolleys which were “full to the brim”, said federal customs authorities in a statement on Thursday.

According to Switzerland’s importation laws, the woman was 70 times over the limit for meat and nearly five times over the limit for oil.

Switzerland brought in a new legal limit for meat of just one kilogramme on July 1st this year.

Any surplus to the limit is taxed at 17 francs ($19) per kilo.

By that calculation, the Spaniard can expect a fine of 1,173 francs ($1,227).

Because of the sheer quantity of produce involved, the fraud squad of Basel’s customs authorities intervened in the case, and confirmed the woman should expect “a hefty fine”.