Swiss police catch more than a dozen drug traffickers in Verbier bust

Swiss police have arrested 15 drug traffickers operating around the Verbier mountain resort as part of the biggest ever swoop in the surrounding Valais canton, police said on Tuesday.

A multi-month investigation showed that the 15 French nationals were involved in trafficking record drug volumes for the canton, police said. They are suspected of selling over 10 kilograms of cocaine as well as smaller quantities of ketamine, ecstasy and cannabis, some of which was seized.

"This marks a first in terms of the scale of the arrests made and seizures made. Investigations are continuing and should lead to further arrests," the Valais police statement said.

Verbier, a French-speaking Alpine village located in the southern French-speaking canton, is one of the world's most expensive ski resorts, with a party scene as famous as its slopes.

Police said drug use was hardly limited to the Verbier area, noting that cocaine consumption has increased generally across the canton.