15 dealers busted in Verbier Valais vacation resort turns out to be a drug nest of seasonal residents
The Valais cantonal police are celebrating a small success. Following investigations, they were able to uncover a drug network in Verbier VS. However, the authorities believe that this is only the "tip of the iceberg".
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- The Valais police have broken up a large drug network in Verbier VS and arrested 15 dealers, mainly from France.
- They confiscated tens of thousands of francs, ten kilograms of cocaine and other drugs.
- According to the police, seasonal workers in Verbier are often involved in the drug trade, driven by the high cost of living.
- The organization Sucht Wallis is receiving an increasing number of inquiries from seasonal workers with drug problems, but has hardly any resources for prevention work.
Appearances are deceptive. In the idyllic town of Verbier VS, the Valais cantonal police uncover shocking drug networks.
After months of investigations, the police have succeeded in striking a major blow against drug trafficking, as the Tages Anzeiger newspaper reports. 15 suspected dealers were arrested, mainly French nationals, who are said to have sold record quantities of drugs, mainly cocaine.
According to the Valais police, ten kilograms of cocaine as well as smaller quantities of ketamine, ecstasy and cannabis were confiscated. The dealers achieved a turnover of over one million francs. Tens of thousands of francs from the illegal transactions were seized. Eight suspects are still in custody.
"An organized network has a well-hierarchized structure, with a base abroad or outside the canton. In this case, we are dealing with 15 people who did not act among themselves," said the commander of the Valais police, Christian Varone, in the "Walliser Tageszeitung".
As part of the investigation, the Valais cantonal police are working together with their French colleagues. The cantonal police are also working with the cantons of Vaud and Neuchâtel to solve the cocaine problem.
Seasonal workers are heavily involved in cocaine trafficking
The operation sheds light on the dark side of the tourist community. According to one Verbier resident, seasonal residents are often involved in drug trafficking. She describes an incident from January: "My apartment was turned upside down," she told the Tages Anzeiger newspaper. "But the money wasn't gone." She later found out that her flatmate had been arrested for drug dealing.
The phenomenon hardly surprises many locals. "There are parties, tourists and money," explains a 19-year-old who is often in Verbier himself. "The dealers are often seasonal residents. Living in Verbier is expensive, so a little extra income is attractive."
Addiction Valais has no means to act preventively
Thomas Urben, Director of the Addiction Valais organization, has also observed an increase in cocaine consultations. "The working hours are long and irregular, there is a lot of partying and the employees have hardly any relationships outside of the work environment. They are only here for a short time and have hardly any ties."
Seasonal workers are increasingly turning to his foundation, often in precarious living conditions and without a social network. Sucht Wallis can do practically nothing about the tourists. "They go home again," explains Urben. A drug checking system would provide more information, but this solution is not available in Valais. "In general, we lack the resources for prevention and risk reduction."
Christophe Maret, president of the municipality of Val de Bagnes, to which Verbier belongs, says: "Don't kid yourself, all tourist communities face the same problem."
