The ‘weapon’ was ordered online as part of a carnival costume
SRF
A Swiss woman was hit with a five-day suspended prison sentence for importing a pink water pistol to go with her intended carnival outfit.
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The sentence for illegally importing a firearm was later commuted to a suspended fine of CHF150 Swiss following the intervention of a lawyer.
“The justice system got involved over a water pistol. Where’s the common sense?” the woman, called Mia from the southern Swiss canton of Ticino, told Swiss public broadcaster RTS.
+ Regulating firearms in gun-loving Switzerland
In Switzerland, even a toy that resembles a real weapon is classified as a weapon. Importing such objects into the country or brandishing them in public could constitute a criminal offense.
Mia ordered the CHF2.78 water pistol online because she wanted to dress up as a police officer at her local carnival. But the water pistol never arrived.
+ What can the Swiss teach the US about guns?
Months later, two real police officers rang Mia’s doorbell after Swiss customs confiscated the water pistol as a violation of the firearms law.
Law changes brewing
Replica firearms have created public order problems in Switzerland. In May 2025, a 15-year-old from the canton of Zurich triggered a major police operation with a water pistol resembling a real weapon.
In June 2024, a school evacuation took place in the southern city of Bellinzona after a 15-year-old student threatened a teacher with a replica pistol.
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Swiss teens and their guns
Each year, the Swiss public prosecutor’s office conducts around 2,000 investigations into suspected violations of the firearms law. Canton Valais parliamentarian Beat Rieder successfully presented a motion to ease the excessive workload of police and prosecutors for “minor cases”.
The Swiss government is currently looking at revising the firearms law. Major online platforms will be required to label replica weapons that are prohibited in Switzerland. Failure to comply with this obligation will expose them to prosecution.
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Adapted from French by AI/mga
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