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The changing face of jihadism in Switzerland

A Swiss terror expert has warned that the jihadist threat is evolving, with more ‘homegrown’ terrorists and a total of around 1000 people in Switzerland thought to be linked in some way to terrorist organizations.

Published: 28 June 2017 14:35 CEST
Updated: 28 June 2017 16:53 CEST
The changing face of jihadism in Switzerland
File photo. A bomb disposal unit policeman prepares to destroy an unattended bag. Photo: Richard Juilliart / AFP

“We are beginning to realize that key players in Swiss jihadism are native, and they have connections with other countries,” Jean-Paul Rouiller, the director of the Geneva Centre for Training and Analysis of Terrorism, told the Tribune de Geneve in an interview published on Wednesday.

“The novelty is that we're no longer seeing imported jihadism. A hotbed of Swiss jihadists is being created […] made up of people who grew up in Switzerland,” said Rouiller, who created the Swiss Federal Police’s first counter-terrorism unit in 2010.

His comments came as prosecutors confirmed four people had been arrested in June for suspected links to jihadist organizations.

Rouiller said that while some of those who have been arrested for terror links would “see the light”, others could pose a risk once released from jail. If that happened, he explained, Switzerland would see a “different dynamic” in terms of the terror threat.

Several terror suspects linked to attacks in France and Germany are thought to have been radicalized while in jail.

READ ALSO: Switzerland faces 'heightened' terror threat in uncertain EuropeSwitzerland faces ‘heightened' terror threat in uncertain Europe

In total, 88 people are known to have left Switzerland to join terror groups abroad, though Rouiller believes this figure is closer to 100.

What’s more, each of those people benefit from financial and other kinds of support in order to make such journeys possible, meaning that the total number of people who are linked to terrorism in Switzerland in some way could be around 1000.

So where are these people radicalized – and how?

According to a two-year research project carried out by Tagesanzeiger.ch/Newsnet, there are five areas where the majority of these people were radicalized: Winterthur, Arbon, Lausanne, Biel and Geneva. Researchers identified 72 people believed to have travelled from Switzerland to conflict areas and looked into their activities and networks beforehand.

According to the report, the primary means of radicalization is through “charismatic leaders” such as imams and preachers rather than online communication, for example. 

Four arrests

Swiss police have arrested four people this month with suspected links to jihadist organizations, fearing some posed “an immediate danger”, prosecutors said on Wednesday.

The office of Switzerland's attorney general (OAG) confirmed that three people were arrested in the western canton of Vaud last Friday and Saturday, suspected of violating “the prohibition of groups like Al-Qaeda, Isis and similar organisations.”

They were also suspected of participating in a “criminal organization”, it said. Police swooped on a car outside a busy mall in Aubonne, Vaud on Saturday, in what one onlooker said looked like a scene straight out of an “American movie”.

“It was surreal,” the witness told the 20 Minutes daily, describing how heavily-armed police had blindfolded and taken the driver away.

READ ALSO: Switzerland looks to tighten anti-terror laws

OAG information chief Andre Marty said that the Aubonne arrests were made because it was believed the suspects “might pose an immediate danger.” Police had first arrested another person in Vaud on Friday, and Marty said investigators were now seeking to determine the connection between the three.

A fourth man – reportedly a taxi driver suspected of being an Isis recruiter – was arrested in Geneva on June 14th. He was not believed to have any connection with those arrested in Vaud, Marty said, insisting it would be “a complete exaggeration to talk about the dismantlement of a terrorist network.”

Swiss authorities are currently investigating some 60 cases linked to suspected jihadist terrorism, the OAG said, stressing that most of those cases revolve around the spread of jihadist propaganda over the internet.

“Nothing justifies alarmism,” it said.

By The Local with AFP

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CRIME

‘Your permit is invalid’: Foreigners in Switzerland warned to avoid new scam

Scores of foreign residents have received an email recently telling them their residency rights in Switzerland have been revoked.

Published: 26 April 2024 11:17 CEST
Updated: 2 May 2024 15:04 CEST
'Your permit is invalid': Foreigners in Switzerland warned to avoid new scam

A number of foreign nationals, especially in the German-speaking part of the country, have received an official-looking letter, purportedly from the State Secretariat for Migration (SEM) informing them that the Free Movement of People agreement between Switzerland and the EU has been nullified, and therefore “your residence permit is no longer valid.”

Faced with enquiries from concerned recipients, SEM responded that the letter is fake, advising recipients to ignore it and, above all, not to click on the QR code on the top.

“Fake letters from the SEM have been circulating since the beginning of this week,” the immigration authority said on its website as well as on X (formerly Twitter).  

“The letter has no impact on the recipient’s  residence status,” SEM added.

Fake jobs, real threats

However, this is only the latest scam perpetrated in the name of SEM.

There have been others in the past.

For instance, many foreigners have also received emails from addresses swissimmigration@consultant or eu_immigration@consultant, that pretend to be the Swiss immigration authority.

“In most cases, a fictitious job in the hotel industry is offered, with the senders demanding payment of 300 to 1,000 euros for a permit in Switzerland and for health and accident insurance,” SEM reported.

The first clue that this email doesn’t come from  SEM, which is part of Switzerland’s government, is that it is asking for payment in euros. If the scammers were smarter, they’d demand Swiss francs.

“These e-mails do not come from the SEM and should be considered as an attempt at fraud,” the agency said. 

Extortion attempt

And a few years ago, a number of foreigners received emails coming allegedly from SEM, Swiss border control authorities, or even the Federal Office of Police (Fedpol).

They threatened to revoke the victim’s residence permit or even expel them from the country altogether if they didn’t pay a certain sum of money into an anonymous account.

Needless to say, no government authority would ever resort to blackmail or demand payment for such ‘services’.

So a good rule to remember (for foreigners and Swiss alike) is that if threats and pressure are involved, letters / emails / phone calls ( WhatsUp messages are more than likely scams.
 
READ ALSO: The common scams foreigners in Switzerland need to be aware of 

Don’t respond

SEM as well as police urge everyone contacted by scammers, by whatever means to:

  • Ignore these messages by hanging up the phone and / or deleting emails, moving them to the Spam folder
  • Never give out your credit card number or bank account information to people you don’t know
  • If you did give your card number, contact your credit card company immediately to have the card blocked. Likewise, if you gave out your banking details, get in touch with your bank.
  • In the event of threats of extortion attempts, consider filing a criminal complaint. You can search for police stations in your area on the Police website. 
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