Three men arrested over alleged match-fixing in League of Ireland

Three men in their 30s were arrested on Thursday in relation to alleged match-fixing in the League of Ireland.

The suspects were arrested by members of the Garda National Economic Crime Bureau supported by officers from Interpol’s match-fixing taskforce in Lyon, France.

Two men were held for questioning in Dublin and the third man was held in the eastern region on suspicion of the offence of conspiracy to defraud. All three were subsequently released without charge with An Garda Síochána saying in a statement that files would be prepared for the Director of Prosecutions.

The move was part of Operation Brookweed, which began in 2019 following reports of suspected match-fixing received from the Football Association of Ireland and Union of European Football Associations, the garda said in a statement.

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Another man was questioned in the northwest last week as part of the operation. Thursday’s arrests brings to 14 the total number questioned under the operation.

Det Supt Catharina Gunne from the Garda National Economic Crime Bureau said match-fixing and corruption was a threat to “all sports at all levels and undermines public confidence in the fairness of sport”.

“It can allow organised crime to infiltrate sport in order to use it to make illicit gains or launder proceeds of crime,” she said.

“Match-fixers prey on young and vulnerable players in order to corrupt them for their ends,” she said.

The FAI said it noted the “latest developments” and “remains committed to a zero-tolerance policy on match-fixing”.

The garda has appealed to anyone with information to report the matter in confidence to the bribery and corruption confidential reporting line on 1800 406080.