Photograph by Rick Dikeman
Interpol are “confident” that a man arrested in Singapore last week was the mastermind behind what is considered the world’s “most aggressive match-fixing syndicate” said secretary general Ron Noble.
The syndicate is believed to have links to all continents, with matches fixed in leagues and tournaments of all sizes, with Noble noting:
“There isn’t a country or region that is immune from it…Syndicates that are doing business to the tune of $1 or 2 billion a year in terms of illegal betting and or match-fixing.”
Match fixing is a major issue in professional sport, with as the world’s most popular sport, football, is a major target. Officials believe that as many as 680 football games were affected by match fixing between 2008 and 2011.
Whilst Noble would not confirm the name of the suspect, Reuters is reporting that the man is Singaporean Tan Seet Eng, who also goes by the name Dan Tan, for whom the Italian police issued arrest warrant earlier this year. The man was arrested alongside 13 other people, including two women, who are believed to be involved in the syndicate.
Nine of the 14 have now been released on bail, with the remaining five still being questioned.
The arrest made last Tuesday was actioned by Singapore’s Criminal Investigation Department (CID) and the Corrupt Practices Investigation Bureau (CPIB).
