Montreux, on the shores of Lake Geneva in canton Vaud, is among Swiss areas that have a reputation as a haven for the ultra-rich.
Keystone / Cyril Zingaro
The Lake Geneva region is fighting a growing number of violent home robberies of its wealthiest residents, which threaten the area’s reputation as a haven for the ultra-rich and have inflamed suspicions across the border with France.
Swiss authorities are turning to video footage, number-plate recognition and tougher border policing as they try to crack down on the “homejackings”, which have shocked the normally peaceful area.
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The attacks typically involve intruders breaking into occupied homes and threatening residents – sometimes at gunpoint – before escaping with watches, jewellery and other valuables across the border to France.
Private bankers, commodities traders and other wealthy executives are among those who have been targeted, fuelling concern in a region that is home to some of the world’s biggest banks and trading houses. Companies including Pictet and Trafigura have raised concerns about the attacks with authorities, according to people familiar with the discussions.
The extreme violence of the attacks has prompted some politicians to call for targeted checks at the French border and prompted many wealthy communities to hire private security.
“This trend has recently become much more organised, targeted and common,” said Florence Bettschart-Narbel, a member of the legislature in the canton of Vaud, on the north side of Lake Geneva. “We are concerned about the impact on Switzerland’s attractiveness to foreigners and companies.”
Among the most prominent victims is Alain Prost, the four-time Formula 1 world champion, whose home near Nyon, on the west side of Lake Geneva, was raided in May.
During the raid, one family member suffered a minor head injury while another was forced to open a safe containing valuables, according to authorities.
One Geneva-based commodities trader, who asked to remain anonymous, said assailants who targeted a friend’s family kidnapped one of their teenage children in the getaway car, releasing the teenager shortly before crossing into France.
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Policing under scrutiny
Geneva recorded 18 “homejackings” last year, up from 15 the year before – even as overall robberies fell by one-fifth. Police classify “homejackings” as violent robberies in occupied homes.
A recent survey of companies in the Geneva region found that 70% believed security had deteriorated in the past three years, citing homejackings and insufficient police presence as a key reason, according to the study published this week by the Foundation for the Attractiveness of the Canton of Geneva.
The incidents have put the policing of Switzerland’s long and porous border with France, which can be passed without any systematic passport controls, under growing scrutiny.
Geneva police said seven attacks last year were attributed to separate gangs from southern France. Four Serbian nationals and seven French nationals living in the Marseille region were linked to the attacks, according to investigators.
The gangs carefully research their targets in advance, including on social media, where photographs of watches, jewellery, cars, holidays and lifestyles can provide clues about a victim’s wealth and habits, according to police.
The French embassy in Switzerland said in a statement that cross-border co-operation was “constant, extensive and agile”.
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Further measures
The violence of the attacks has prompted politicians to push for further measures, and Geneva’s parliament is considering several proposals covering security and property disclosure.
“It is our duty to take measures to repel this crime, which is unfortunately imported,” said Vincent Subilia, director-general of the Geneva Chamber of Commerce and a cantonal parliamentarian.
Among the measures being discussed are more officers and targeted checks at border crossings, including on smaller roads. There is also a push for local police to have more efficient access to number-plate databases.
Another measure being debated would restrict the publication of property information. Geneva politicians are seeking to end rules requiring details of property transactions, including buyers’ names and prices, to be made public – a longstanding transparency practice that identifies the home addresses of the very wealthy.
Some neighbourhoods are already acting. In Vandœuvres, one of Geneva’s wealthiest communes, authorities are planning what they call a “virtual border”, installing automatic number-plate readers and CCTV at entrances to the municipality.
“In absolute numbers it is not high, but Switzerland is very open and secure, we are not used to this kind of criminal activity,” said Bettschart-Narbel, the legislator in Vaud. “It is important to act.”
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