Basel police involved in major police operation against drug trade
A significant amount of drugs as well as weapons and cash were seized in a major operation involving the police in Germany and Switzerland on Wednesday morning.
The police obtained 17 warrants to search flats and business premises in Basel, Singen, Schopfheim, Maulburg, Steinen, and Lörrach. All were associated with gangs involved in the drugs trade in the region.
One person was arrested in Germany and two people in Switzerland were taken into custody.
The criminal police in Lörrach had launched the investigation on the request of the prosecution service in Waldshut-Tiengen. The sting was aimed at a group of 18 men, all aged between 20 and 30 years old and living in Constance, Lörrach, and Basel-Stadt. They are accused of large-scale drugs trafficking.
«This was the first sting in the wasp's nest», police spokesperson, Mathias Albicker, told barfi.ch. He said the searches and arrests were possible due to the close cooperation with the Basel cantonal police, who also took part in the operation.
An investigation into the drugs trade is on-going.
Death in Waaghof jail
A 29-year-old asylum seeker yesterday died from her injuries after attempting to commit suicide earlier this week.
The Sri Lankan woman was found severely injured at noon on Tuesday and was brought to the emergency unit of the hospital by the ambulance, accompanied by an emergency doctor.
The 29-year-old's request for asylum was submitted in May 2017 but was rejected three months later by the State Secretariat for Migration SEM who ruled that Malta was responsible for the case. Within the framework of the Dublin Regulation, the woman would have been sent back to Malta. The SEM had tasked the Basler Migration Office with executing the decision.
After her application for asylum was rejected, the woman disappeared but was arrested in canton Bern on 9th June and brought to the Waaghof facility in the evening of 11th June. She was expected to be questioned by the migration office.
The woman tried to kill herself in her cell on Tuesday and died from her severe injuries at the university hospital two days later. The criminal police of the prosecution and the institute for forensic medicine have started an investigation to determine the background to the suicide.
These places are open 24/7 for people at risk of suicide, and their relatives:
Tele-Counselling of the «lending hand» (Dargebotene Hand): Telefon 143
Further addresses and information can be found at: www.reden-kann-retten.ch
The weather on art and world cup weekend
Saint Peter seems to now be slowly and surely settled on a season and will mostly grace us with wonderful weather at the weekend - regarding the flood a couple of days ago, we can look at the past with benevolence. At the weekend we will be spared these unpleasant surprises.
Friday: no risk
The start of the weekend will be 20-25 degrees until the end of the day when the temperature will sink to 18 degrees. It is how it is.
Saturday: off in the Rhine
Right on time for the weekend, the temperature will go up to 27 degrees on Saturday afternoon and give us a rest from the art tours with a jump into the Rhine. With bad luck we will get a few drops of rain in the evening, but of course we don't want to one day run out of it. And when it comes, hopefully only after the world cup public viewing!
Sunday: a candidate for surprise
Basically, the outlook for Sunday shows anything other than bad weather. However, with a somewhat fresher 21 degrees as well as a 36% chance of rain, we cannot give any more guarantee of good weather. For the Brazil-Switzerland game on Sunday night, it is worth it to look for an indoor public viewing - just to be sure. For everyone who cannot follow the match on TV or who wants additional information about the game, it's worth it to have a quick look at the Barfi.ch live ticker!