LAST UPDATE | 15 Sep 2022

THREE MEN ARRESTED earlier today in relation to alleged match fixing in the League of Ireland have been released without charge.

The Anti-Bribery & Corruption Unit at the Garda National Economic Crime Bureau (GNECB) detained two men in their 30s in the Dublin area. Another man in his 30s was arrested in the east of the country, gardaí said.

They were all held on suspicion of the offence of conspiracy to defraud. 

The42 understands the three men who were arrested are all former players.

However, they have since been released, with files now set to be prepared for the Director of Public Prosecutions.

Interpol officers attached to the organisation’s Match-Fixing Task Force have also travelled from their HQ in Lyon, France to support the operation.

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).

Detectives from the GNECB also arrested a man in the northwest last week as part of this ongoing investigation. Today’s arrests bring the total number arrested as part of Operation Brookweed to 14.

Detective Superintendent Catharina Gunne, GNECB, said: “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.

“The Anti-Bribery & Corruption Unit will take proactive action where necessary to disrupt such criminality. Match-fixers prey on young and vulnerable players in order to corrupt them for their ends.

“An Garda Síochána continues to appeal to any person who have information in relation to match-fixing or sports corruption to report the matter in confidence to the Bribery and Corruption Confidential Reporting line – 1800 40 60 80 the Garda Confidential Line 1800 666 111 or to their local Garda Station.”

The FAI has also released a statement on the matter.

It reads: “The FAI notes the latest developments in the ongoing Garda enquiry into alleged historical match fixing. The FAI, in conjunction with UEFA, remains committed to a zero tolerance policy on match fixing. As this continues to be a legal matter, we cannot comment further beyond this.”