It is a discreet phenomenon, but in full expansion in Switzerland: theft of boats. Behind these flights, organized bands, generally from Eastern Europe. A lucrative business that is increasingly worried by boat owners.
In the canton of Vaud, Manuel Dimache, passionate about fishing, recently paid the price. For years, he stored his boat at the port of Bief, in Morges. But after four attempts to flight in the space of a year, two of whom were successful, he ended up throwing in the towel. “It is still an emotional charge not negligible so I decided to move my boat from the port of the bief, and put it in a safe place, in any case I hope,” he testified Thursday in the morning.
The method is well oiled and only a few minutes are enough for criminals to cut the bolts of the engine, generally using a disc set, and leave with a booty of several thousand francs. This business is booming in Switzerland. In 2020, six offenses were identified in the canton of Vaud, 40 last year, and already as much this year.
A phenomenon that affects all of Switzerland
“These are mostly organized bands, which are from Eastern European countries, which commit a series of crimes, during a short period of time and who leave in their country to resell them there,” said Sébastien Jost, spokesperson for the Vaud cantonal police, at the microphone of RTS.
The phenomenon is not limited to the canton of Vaud. It affects the whole country. A national task force has been set up, in order to better coordinate the exchange of information between the cantons and with the foreign authorities.
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What solutions?
Faced with these lightning flights, the owners’ room for maneuver is limited. Among the rare means of deterrence: the installation of a GPS tag connected to the smartphone. In the event of a suspicious engine trip, an alert is triggered and can allow the police to intervene quickly.
But for many navigation or fishing followers, tranquility on the quays seems compromised.
Yoan Rithner