An ex-guard at La Croisée prison in Orbe, Switzerland, has been convicted by the Vaud public prosecutor’s office after a months-long investigation revealed he smuggled hashish, accepted bribes, and leaked confidential prisoner messages to the outside world, according to official findings.
Smuggling Hashish and Illicit Payments Inside La Croisée Prison
The illegal activities began in April 2025, according to the public prosecutor’s office. The guard retrieved two separate 15-gram batches of hashish outside the prison from contacts named by an inmate, smuggled the narcotics inside, and received 100 francs for each delivery. In early June 2025, the former guard repeated the operation for a different prisoner, securing a full piece of hashish from an outside contact and bringing it into La Croisée.
The Moroccan-born man also collected payments for unfulfilled tasks and other services. On May 1, 2025, an individual paid him 80 francs to deliver a phone number and an e-cigarette to an inmate. Although the guard never completed the delivery, he kept the money.
Did You Know? During a search of the former guard’s home on August 26, 2025, investigators recovered 44 ampoules of growth hormones, alongside anabole steroids and various regulated substances ordered from a Chinese website and initially shipped through France.
Intercepting Legal Evidence and Money Laundering Complicity
The most serious offences occurred during July and August 2025, when the guard acted as a liaison for a prisoner serving time for fraud. The guard photographed handwritten notes from the inmate’s cell and transmitted them outside to hinder ongoing asset seizures and legal investigations, the prosecutor’s office stated.
One intercepted note instructed the inmate’s partner to gather payment receipts for two vehicles and secure business agreements backdated to March 2024. Another handwritten document found during the August home raid demanded that a message be sent to an acquaintance to quickly engage a third lawyer, explicitly stating a desire to act “before the police seize the evidence” held by the inmate. Because he facilitated these communications, the former employee was convicted of accessory to money laundering, abuse of authority, and passive bribery.
Six Charges and Conditional Sentences Handed Down
Following the conclusion of the investigation, the public prosecutor pressed six distinct charges against the man, ranging from passive bribery and abuse of authority to accessory to money laundering and violations of the Narcotics Act and the Therapeutic Products Act. The prosecutor imposed a six-month conditional prison sentence this summer with a two-year probation period, noting the penalty stood “just barely” within the legal limit allowed for summary penalty orders. The convicted man also received a 300-franc fine.
The defendant did not file an objection against the penal order. The Vaud correctional services department (Spen) confirmed that the individual is no longer employed as a prison guard.
Frequently Asked Questions
What triggered the investigation into the prison guard?
The investigation followed a series of illegal activities at La Croisée prison between April and August 2025, which culminated in a police search of the guard’s apartment on August 26, 2025.
What specific sentences did the prosecutor issue?
The prosecutor issued a six-month conditional prison sentence with a two-year probation period, alongside a 300-franc fine.
Is the individual still employed at La Croisée?
No, the Vaud correctional services department (Spen) confirmed that the man is no longer active as a prison guard.
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