A day at the border

Summary of the key facts and figures on FOCBS operations in 2023.

Every day, around 2.2 million people, 1.1 million cars and 21,000 lorries cross the Swiss border. In addition, thousands of tonnes of goods from all over the world are imported into Switzerland or pass through it on the way to other countries, and Swiss products are exported abroad.

The FOCBS's core tasks include the correct and rapid clearance of goods, which involves collecting duties and carrying out checks on cross-border passenger transport. In addition, it performs delegate security tasks and combats illegal migration. The FOCBS has its own investigative authority for its core tasks.

The FOCBS takes account of its tasks, challenges and needs with the job profile of customs and border security specialist, its organisational transformation and digitalisation: the launch of the new Passar goods traffic system and the introduction of the e-vignette are just two examples of the forward-looking adaptation of processes and services that the FOCBS focused on in 2023.

On an average day, FOCBS staff collect and find:

  • CHF 65 million in receipts
  • 74 counterfeit products
  • 62 people who are wanted or have an arrest warrant issued against them
  • 5 forged identity documents
  • 12 prohibited weapons
  • 1kg of drugs
  • 137 cases of illegal residence
  • 22 consignments of medications or doping preparations
  • 26 defective lorries 

You can get an idea of the multifaceted services performed by the FOCBS in 2023 here:

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On average, 12 illegally imported weapons are confiscated every day.

The FOCBS intercepts an average of 62 wanted persons or persons with arrest warrants daily.

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