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Israeli police on Monday arrested 17 people connected to a football club in a sweeping investigation into alleged match-fixing, bribery, illegal gambling and money laundering, after what authorities described as a months-long undercover operation.
Police did not name the club in their initial statement, but multiple Israeli media reports identified it as F.C. Kiryat Yam, a team based near Haifa.
Suspects include players and club figures, police say
According to reporting on the case, investigators suspect a criminal group used the club as a vehicle to manipulate match outcomes and profit from bets placed on games with pre-determined results, while also using the operation to launder funds.
During early-morning raids, dozens of officers searched homes and brought suspects in for questioning. The Police also seized multiple items, including computers and documents linked to football matches and suspected gambling activity, according to state-linked reporting.
A three-year window is at the center of the allegations
Authorities said the suspected conduct stretches across roughly three years and that the probe was conducted alongside the Israel Football Association.
While police have not publicly laid out every alleged match or bet pathway, the case is being reported as more than a one-off fix. The suspicion is that the operation relied on repeated manipulation, supported by payments and coordination that investigators believe crossed into money-laundering territory.
Suspects awaits judgment as probe continues
The suspects were taken for questioning as investigators continue to build out the case and map who did what inside the alleged network. Police have not ruled out further arrests as the investigation continues, according to local coverage.
For Israel’s football authorities, the investigation lands at a time when leagues worldwide are under growing pressure to show they can spot irregular betting patterns early and act before integrity issues become a wider reputational problem.
Source: The Times of Israel
