In Buchs SG Customs officers discover 356,000 euros in cash on train passenger
During an inspection on a train from Austria, Swiss customs officers stopped a man with several hundred thousand euros in cash. Because the 50-year-old could not plausibly explain the origin of the money, the authorities called in the police.
18.05.2026, 10:29
SDA
Employees of the Federal Office for Customs and Border Security (FOCBS) found 356,000 euros (around 325,270 francs) in cash in the luggage of a 50-year-old Swiss man. As he was unable to provide any information about the origin of the money, he was handed over to the St. Gallen cantonal police.
The man entered Switzerland from Salzburg on April 26, as reported by the FOCA in a press release on Monday. During a customs check on the train, he denied that he was carrying any goods or cash.
However, a BAZG employee discovered a rucksack under the man's row of seats. It contained five sealed envelopes and a wallet.
The 50-year-old stated that he was not the owner of the money but merely a messenger. "Based on the documents presented and statements regarding the use and origin of the cash, it was suspected that the money could be connected to money laundering or terrorist financing," the FOCA continued. It seized the cash and handed the case over to the police.
