Law enforcement agency Interpol has lauded the work of Singapore authorities for arresting the 'mastermind' of the world's largest football match-fixing syndicate thought to be worth millions of dollars.
Interpol secretary general Ron Noble did not reveal the identity of the arrested ringleader, but it is believed to be Singaporean Tan Seet Eng.
Italian prosecutors have accused Tan, also known as Dan Tan, of heading an organisation to fix football matches worldwide after Italian police issued an arrest warrant for him earlier this year.
Noble says the syndicate is considered the world's largest and most aggressive with tentacles reaching every continent, headed by a mastermind many believed was untouchable.
The 'mastermind' was one of 14 people arrested, 12 men and two women.
On Monday, the ministry of Home Affairs said nine of the 14 had been released on bail while the other five were still being questioned.
The five, who could not be named, can be held for a maximum of 16 days from arrest.
European police shone a spotlight on Southeast Asia in February when they announced a Singapore-based syndicate had directed match-fixing for at least 380 football games in Europe alone, making at least eight million euros (NZ$12.91 million).
A further 300 suspicious matches were identified in Africa, Asia and Latin America including qualifying games for the World Cup and European Championships, and the Champions League for top European club sides.
Singapore was criticised for failing to hand over Tan to Italian prosecutors earlier this year but the Southeast Asian citystate does not hold an extradition treaty with Italy.
Noble defended Singapore, which jailed three Lebanese match officials for attempting to fix a regional match in June, and cited the need for lengthy communications and translations for the delay.
