Three footballers from the Australian A-League have been accused by New South Wales (NSW) law enforcement of betting fraud related to yellow card manipulation.
The three athletes, all from a squad in Sydney’s southwest, have not been revealed to the public. They have been freed on bond and will appear in court shortly to hear more about the corruption claims.
NSW Police confirmed the news in a statement, stating that the apprehensions were made after an inquiry by the Organized Crime Squad. The inquiry, code-named “Operation Beaconview,” focused on alleged betting fraud.
“Operation Beaconview” was initiated last December and concentrated on yellow card manipulation. The Organized Crime Squad of the State Crime Command was aided by the UK Gambling Commission.
Investigators discovered that a senior player was allegedly directed by an individual to arrange yellow cards in specific games in exchange for financial gain. The individual is thought to be located abroad in South America.
According to investigators, the number of yellow cards was tampered with in matches played on November 24, 2023, and December 9, 2023.
It is claimed that comparable efforts took place during games on the twentieth of April and the fourth of May of this current year.
On the seventeenth of May, investigators from the Criminal Unit carried out a search warrant in South Coogee, close to Sydney, after a thorough inquiry. A man of thirty-three years was apprehended and transported to a nearby police station.
The individual was accused of two offenses: participating in gambling activities that affected the results of matches. Additionally, he was charged with aiding in gambling activities that affected the results of matches and involvement in a criminal organization. The individual was granted release on bail and is scheduled to appear in Downing Centre Local Court on the twenty-fourth of June.
Additional arrests related to corruption in the A-League
In the meantime, investigators from the Criminal Unit executed three additional search warrants in Parramatta, West Hoxton, and Emu Plains.
In Parramatta, investigators apprehended a twenty-seven-year-old man and took him to a nearby police station. He was accused of participating in gambling activities that affected the results of matches and involvement in a criminal organization. He was subsequently granted release on bail and is scheduled to appear in Downing Centre Local Court on the twenty-seventh of June.
The final apprehension occurred in West Hoxton, where a thirty-two-year-old man was taken to a nearby police station. He was also accused of participating in gambling activities that affected the results of matches and involvement in a criminal organization.
The individual was granted conditional release on bail and is scheduled to appear in Campbelltown Local Court on the thirtieth of May.
Additional information concerning the case has not been made public.
In spite of this, the Australian Professional Leagues (APL) has verified the apprehensions and stated it will collaborate with law enforcement organizations to aid them in their inquiry.
“The APL is cognizant of the detentions of three A-League athletes by New South Wales Police, which are the outcome of global law enforcement collaboration centered on gambling corruption related to alleged yellow card manipulation in matches,” the APL declaration stated.
“The endeavor to uphold the honesty of our contest must be steadfast, and we are working closely with all pertinent authorities on this matter. Given the ongoing nature of the investigation and police inquiries, we are unable to provide further commentary at this juncture.”
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