14th-century samurai sword found in car on Swiss border | Switzerland
Swiss customs authorities have discovered an antique Japanese samurai sword made almost 700 years ago after it was smuggled into the country.
The Federal Customs and Border Protection Agency said the 1353 katana sword, valued at €650,000, was found in a car with Swiss license plates during a routine search near Zurich. Several other items were also found in the car, including an antique book, a contract and the sales invoice.
The driver, accompanied by his daughter, did not declare the items at the Thayngen border crossing from Germany, officials said.
The customs authorities initiated criminal investigations and found that the driver was not the owner of the items, but had picked up the sword on behalf of his employer in Stuttgart.
Customs experts determined that the importation of the ancient sword is to be regarded as a violation of Swiss laws designed to preserve cultural heritage and to prevent theft, looting and illegal import and export of cultural property.
Following the investigation, regional authorities fined the employer more than 6,000 Swiss francs (£4,960).
Customs officials said they collected almost 54,000 francs in VAT from the driver, who could face further fines of up to 800,000 francs.