Gardaí arrest 10 men on allegations of League of Ireland match-fixing

Gardaí have arrested 10 men in connection with an ongoing investigation into alleged match-fixing in the League of Ireland.

The Garda Anti-Bribery & Corruption Unit and the Garda National Economic Crime Bureau (GNECB) held a so-called “Day of Action” this morning in relation to alleged match-fixing in Ireland’s men’s football league.

As part of the planned operation in the Southern Region and Dublin metropolitan areas, 10 men ranging in age from their early 20s to their 60s were arrested and a number of residential buildings were searched as part of “Operation Brookweed”.

Gardaí said the operation was supported by staff from the Limerick and Cork City divisions.

Investigators said the men were arrested on suspicion of conspiracy to commit common law fraud and are currently being detained under Section 4 of the Criminal Justice Act 1984 at various stations in Dublin’s southern and metropolitan area.

Gardaí said the operation was the result of an investigation carried out in 2019 by investigators from the Anti-Bribery and Corruption Unit after reports of alleged match-fixing were received from the Football Association of Ireland (FAI) and the Union of European Football Associations (UEFA). .

Referring to today’s operation, GNECB Detective Superintendent Catharina Gunne said: “Match-fixing and corruption are a threat to all sports at all levels and undermine public confidence in the fairness of sport.

“It can allow organized crime to infiltrate sport to make illegal profits or launder the proceeds of crime.”

Gardaí urges anyone with information regarding match-fixing or sport corruption to get in touch.

Members of the public may provide information confidentially to the Anti-Bribery and Corruption Confidential Reporting Line at 1800 40 60 80 or your local Garda Station.