Spanish Cops Bust 17 Suspects in Football Match-Fixing Ring

On July 27, the media reported that a police raid in the Spanish cities of Melilla and Granada nabbed 17 suspects allegedly involved in rigging soccer matches in the country’s professional leagues. Among those arrested are players from Spain’s third-tier soccer division (officially known as Primera Federación).

Three of the suspects are being probed for their alleged ties to a criminal group involved in money laundering, corruption, fraud, and document forgery.

The names of the suspects have not been revealed, but according to Europapress, UD Melilla, which plays in the Primera Federación, was also part of the scheme.

The investigation began in February this year after several betting companies tipped off the police about suspicious betting patterns. The bets were placed from the same Spanish city on specific game outcomes. To assist the investigation, Europol set up a mobile office in Spain to work with the investigators.

The case is being jointly investigated by the Spanish National Police, the EU law enforcement agency (Europol), and La Liga. The investigation is still underway.