Garda operation targeting League of Ireland match-fixing

10 arrested by Anti-Bribery & Corruption Unit, Garda National Economic Crime Bureau (GNECB) under 'Operation Brookweed'.

Gardaí have arrested 10 males and searched a number of residential properties as part of a day of action targetting alleged match-fixing in the League of Ireland football league.

The Anti-Bribery & Corruption Unit, Garda National Economic Crime Bureau (GNECB) today, Wednesday, May 18, carried out the planned operation in the Southern Region and Dublin Metropolitan Regions.

Titled 'Operation Brookweed', a total of ten males (aged in their early 20's to 60’s) have been arrested and a number of residential properties have been searched.

The operation was been supported by resources attached to the Limerick and Cork City Divisions.

The males have been arrested on suspicion of the offence of Conspiracy to Defraud contrary to Common Law and are currently detained under Section 4 of the Criminal Justice Act 1984 at various stations in the Southern Region and Dublin Metropolitan Region.

This operation stems from an investigation carried out by detectives attached to the Anti-Bribery & Corruption Unit in 2019 following reports of suspected match-fixing received from the Football Association of Ireland (FAI) and Union of European Football Associations (UEFA).

Speaking about today's operation, Detective Superintendent Catharina Gunne, Garda National Economic Crime Bureau stated: “Match-fixing and corruption is 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.”

An Garda Síochána has appealed to any persons who have any information in relation to match-fixing or sports corruption to contact them. They can make a report in confidence to the Anti- Bribery and Corruption Confidential Reporting line – 1800 40 60 80 or to their local Garda Station.