Aargau man acquitted over counterfeit stamps bought online

An Aargau man was acquitted on Wednesday after ordering 2,000 counterfeit Swiss stamps from the Chinese online marketplace AliExpress, SRF reported. The court found that prosecutors could not prove he knowingly intended to buy fake goods.

The man ordered the stamps in August 2025 for about 666 Swiss francs, roughly one third of the 2,400 francs they would have cost at a Swiss post office. Swiss customs intercepted the shipment, and Swiss Post filed a complaint.

The Aargau public prosecutor’s office issued a penalty order against the 48-year-old in March 2026. It imposed a suspended financial penalty, a fine of 1,500 francs and an 800-franc administrative fee.

Prosecutors argued that the man should have recognised warning signs, including the Chinese seller and the price well below the stamps’ face value. Importing counterfeit stamps, which are official value documents, is treated as counterfeiting goods under Article 155 of the Swiss Criminal Code.

The defendant told the Bremgarten District Court that he had researched the purchase. An expert quoted by the newspaper 20 Minuten had said the stamps were genuine, he said. The man also asked the seller about the stamps and was told they came from a bankruptcy estate.

When the shipment arrived, it had been falsely declared as Christmas stickers. This made the buyer suspicious, and he returned the goods and received a refund. The court nevertheless noted that returning the goods had little bearing on whether the import itself was punishable.

The court followed the defence’s request for an acquittal, applying the principle of in dubio pro reo, or in case of doubt, for the accused. The defence argued that the man had made extensive checks before buying and withdrew from the transaction once he realised something was wrong.

The court president said intent could not be proven, but warned the man that he hoped the case would serve as a lesson. The first-instance ruling is not yet legally binding.