Prohibited items:

The Geneva Cantonal Police reminds travelers departing from Geneva International Airport that certain items in their luggage may be illegal in Switzerland, even if they were purchased abroad in good faith.

Each year, airport security checks lead to the confiscation of various prohibited items, including:

• Laser pointers (classes 2, 3 and 4)
• Brass knuckles, including those disguised as keychains or gadgets
• Butterfly knives and automatic-opening knives

Often perceived as simple gadgets, high-powered laser pointers are prohibited in Switzerland under the Federal Act on Protection against Non-Ionising Radiation and Sound (NIRSA). Their possession is illegal, even for private, academic or recreational use.

When discovered during airport security checks, these items systematically lead to a report to the Public Prosecutor.

The consequences are real: risk of missing your flight, criminal conviction and fines that can exceed CHF 1,000.