Advertisement

Meat-lover flouts Swiss law with 70kg import

Caroline Bishop
Caroline Bishop - [email protected]
Meat-lover flouts Swiss law with 70kg import
The woman used shopping trolleys to transport her meat. Photo: Mikey

A woman from Basel can expect a steep fine after border guards caught her trying to import 70 kilogrammes of meat – 70 times the legal limit – into Switzerland.

Advertisement

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”.

More

Join the conversation in our comments section below. Share your own views and experience and if you have a question or suggestion for our journalists then email us at [email protected].
Please keep comments civil, constructive and on topic – and make sure to read our terms of use before getting involved.

Please log in to leave a comment.

See Also