10 men arrested in connection with alleged League of Ireland match fixing

A number of residential properties have also been searched.

10 men have been arrested as Gardaí carried out a day of action in relation to alleged match fixing in the League of Ireland. The planned operation took place in the Southern Region and Dublin Metropolitan Regions on Wednesday (18 May). As part of it, 10 men - aged in their early 20s to 60s - were arrested and a number of residential properties were searched. The men were arrested on suspicion of the offence of Conspiracy to Defraud contrary to Common Law. They are currently detained under Section 4 of the Criminal Justice Act 1984 at various stations in the Southern Region and Dublin Metropolitan Region. The operation stems from an investigation carried out by detectives attached to the Anti-Bribery and Corruption Unit within the Garda National Economic Crime Bureau (GNECB) in 2019. This was following reports of suspected match fixing received from the Football Association of Ireland (FAI) and Union of European Football Associations (UEFA). "Match fixing and corruption is a threat to all sports at all levels and undermines public confidence in the fairness of sport," Detective Superintendent Catharina Gunne, GNECB, said in a statement. "It can allow organised crime to infiltrate sport in order to use it to make illicit gains or launder proceeds of crime." An Garda Síochána is appealing to any person who has any information in relation to match fixing or sports corruption to contact them. People can make a report in confidence to the Anti-Bribery and Corruption Confidential Reporting line at 1800 40 60 80 or to their local Garda Station.