Police uncover alleged multi-million dollar match-fixing ring in Victorian Premier League

Victorian Police have swooped on an alleged multi-million dollar match-fixing ring involving the Victorian Premier League football competition.

Up to 10 people, all affiliated with the same semi-professional club in the Victorian state football competition, have been arrested and are expected to face match-fixing charges.

It is believed that international match fixing syndicates run by organised criminals have been fixing matches in the league, making hundreds of thousands of dollars on Asian betting markets.

Fairfax media has reported that the Police investigation, conducted by Victoria Police's Sports Integrity Intelligence Unit, revealed that a number of formerly European-based footballers were involved with the syndicate.

Fairfax has suggested that the scandal will put huge pressure on State and Federal Government to concede to long-standing police requests for laws to be changes so authorities can share with sporting bodies information about suspected corruption.

Speaking about the arrests, Football Federation Australia (FFA) Chief Executive David Gallop advised that the FFA had provided Victoria Police with information relating to suspicious betting activity and welcomed the investigation by the Sports Integrity Intelligence Unit within the force.

Gallop explained "the integrity of football is paramount.

"We provided information to Victoria Police within 24 hours of receiving an alert from our international betting integrity monitoring agents Sportradar, who then worked closely with the investigation team.

"The arrests ... show that the integrity measures put in place by FFA are working to detect illegal betting activity.

"We're determined to keep football clean. Alongside other sports bodies in Australia and globally, we must eradicate corrupt behaviour from sport."

In addition to the criminal proceedings in Victoria, FFA will charge the people arrested today under FFA's National Code of Conduct.

They will face a range of sanctions including life bans from football which would apply worldwide.

10th February 2013 - GLOBAL MATCH FIXING INVESTIGATION FOCUSES ON ASIA

9th October 2009 - AUSTRALIA A TARGET FOR MATCH-FIXING