Singapore police arrest 14 in match-fixing raids

BBC News, 18 September 2013

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Interpol has been involved in
the match-fixing investigation

Police in Singapore have arrested 14 people believed to be part of an organised crime gang involved in global football match-fixing.

The 12 men and two women were detained during a series of raids, European and Singapore officials said.

Police said those arrested include the alleged "mastermind" but did not release any names.

Between 2008 and 2011, investigators said they had identified 680 suspicious games, 380 of them in Europe.

The matches included World Cup qualifiers and the European Champions league.

European officials said the matches had been targeted by a Singapore-based betting cartel whose illegal activities stretched to players, referees and officials across the world.

Police did not give the nationalities of those arrested. They said that five - including the suspected leader - were being held for further questioning while the rest will be released on bail.

"Police confirm that the suspected leader and several other individuals who are the subject of ongoing investigations in other jurisdictions for match fixing were among the persons arrested," said a joint statement by Singapore police agencies on Wednesday.

Interpol and the EU law enforcement agency Europol have both been involved in the investigation.

Following the arrests, Interpol Secretary General Ronald K Noble said: "Singaporean authorities have taken an important step in cracking down on an international match-fixing syndicate by arresting the main suspects in the case, including the suspected mastermind.''

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