Criminal organizations are recruiting teenagers via social media apps like Snapchat and TikTok to execute high-stakes thefts, scams, and armed robberies in Switzerland, bluewin.ch reported.
For the perpetrators, consequences can reach up to four years in prison, while identifying the masterminds remains difficult because platform profiles are created under false identities and deleted frequently.
The phenomenon relies on digital advertisements promising easy money to minors as young as 14. Fedpol warned that these transnational criminal networks use inexperienced youths as foot soldiers while masterminds operate safely from abroad. According to the cantonal police cited by Blick
, the involved gangs are becoming increasingly bold, professional, and prone to violence.
Investigators call this business model “Crime as a Service.” Switzerland remains a prime target because of its high standard of living, geography, and ease of cross-border escape.
Candidates are assigned seemingly simple tasks like watching a street, retrieving a bank card, or making a delivery. Promised payouts range from 500 to over 10,000 euros, according to Fedpol details cited by RTS.
Attorney Jonathan Rutschmann explained to RTS that targets face mounting demands once inside the network. Investigators note that in certain cases, youths are even forced to film attacks, with the footage used both to recruit others and to blackmail the perpetrators themselves.
Over the preceding three months, western Switzerland recorded more than ten successful daily scams targeting victims who believed they were dealing with police officers or bank employees, alongside at least as many attempts. Fraudsters have even deployed artificial intelligence to enhance their credibility.
Fedpol spokesperson Vincent Bürgy stated that authorities have arrested roughly 500 individuals averaging 21 years of age since 2025. The youngest suspects identified in these operations were 14 years old.
Beyond financial fraud, international gangs target gun shops, luxury car dealerships, and residential villas. Fedpol recorded 35 burglaries or attempted burglaries at firearms stores through August 2026. In June, four individuals residing in France, including a 17-year-old, were arrested following a burglary at an armory in Camorino.
Stolen weapons frequently cross the border into France. Meanwhile, Ticino authorities report active border-crossing cells originating in northern Italy, Eastern Europe, and South America. Suspects originating from Romani communities in northern Italy have been charged with over 80 burglaries, resulting in total damages approaching one million francs. A major investigation during 2025 targeting luxury residence burglaries led to the identification or arrest of 30 people, including some minors.
