Spain’s National Police have made 23 arrests in a joint effort with Interpol, Europol and the Spanish tax agency to take apart a criminal network suspected of fixing sports matches and using technology to make wagers 20 to 30 seconds before bookmakers had the data, Interpol said September 15 in a statement.
One of the arrests was of the network’s leader—who was subject of an Interpol Red Notice for suspected match-fixing. Another arrest was of a major as yet unnamed bookmaker.
Forty-seven bank accounts and 28 payment gateways were blocked while multiple mobile phones, satellite dishes, cash, credit and debit cards and counterfeit cash were among items seized.
The joint operation began three years ago when Spanish police became suspicious of online bets placed on international table tennis matches. In the course of the investigation they found a network based in Romania and Bulgaria.
The network corrupted athletes outside of Spain and then mob members in Spain placed wagers online on “a massive scale,” in the words of Interpol.
The police also found that the group was able to access match information before bookmakers, which allowed them to place bets that guaranteed them some sort of win. They gained access to live video feeds, ahead of the normal delays that happen on satellite feeds and relays, said Interpol. They avoided detection for years by using multiple identities and accounts.
Interpol secretary-general Jürgen Stock said in a statement: “Organized crime groups will exploit the tiniest of gaps given the opportunity. In this case, we’re talking about a 20- or 30-second advantage that led to significant gains.”
The games affected included soccer’s 2022 Fifa World Cup, the Uefa Nations League, German Bundesliga and ATP and ITF tennis tournaments plus soccer leagues in Asia and South America.
More arrests are likely as the investigators continue their work, said Interpol.
