Swiss investigators are searching for evidence that some of the people involved in this week's attacks in the United States might have been through Switzerland, the Swiss defense minister and police said on Friday.
Defense Minister Samuel Schmid told journalists after a meeting of the country's security council that there were indications that some of the people involved in the attacks may have used Switzerland as a "transit station".
Schmid said the Swiss were searching for evidence that would help US investigators and prevent new attacks.
Urs von Daniken, head of the Swiss police's intelligence service, said the police investigation was being carried out at the request of the US authorities
"We had some indications that one of the perpetrators who was killed (during the attacks) was in Switzerland this year," Von Daniken told AFP.
"He used a nationality which was probably false."
The investigation was at a preliminary stage and a formal prosecutor's inquiry had not been set up, von Daniken said.
The officials said no arrests had been made.
Swiss police were working in "close cooperation" with colleagues in Austria, France, Italy, Germany and other states, federal police chief Jean-Luc Vez said.
Von Daniken said "everyone available" in his staff had been mobilised for the investigation.
Officials said existing security measures in Switzerland remained in force, including reinforced guard on foreign embassies, and special checks at airports -- BERN (AFP)
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