14th-century samurai sword found in car at Swiss border

Swiss customs authorities have discovered an antique Japanese samurai sword made nearly 700 years ago, after it was smuggled into the country.

The Federal Office for Customs and Border Security said the katana sword, dated to 1353 and valued at ¤650,000 (£550,000), was found in a car with Swiss plates during a routine search near Zurich. Several other objects were also found in the car, including an antique book, a contract and the sales invoice.

The driver, accompanied by his daughter, had not registered the objects at the Thayngen border crossing from Germany, officials said.

Customs authorities launched a criminal investigation and determined that the driver was not the owner of the objects, but had picked up the sword in Stuttgart at the request of his employer.

Customs experts found that the import of the antique sword should be considered a violation of Swiss laws aimed at preserving cultural heritage and to prevent theft, looting and the illegal import and export of cultural property.

Following the investigation, regional authorities imposed fines of more than 6,000 Swiss francs (£4,960) on the employer.

The customs authorities said they had collected nearly 54,000 Swiss francs in VAT from the driver, who faced up to 800,000 francs in further fines.