Seventeen Members of Israeli Football Team Detained in Match-Fixing Investigation

Israeli law enforcement has announced the arrest of 17 individuals connected with a soccer club in Israel's second-tier league as part of an investigation into match-fixing and money laundering.

Those taken into custody include current players and senior officials of the team, with police alleging their involvement in match-fixing activities that have transpired over several years.

While the police have not disclosed the specific name of the team — stating only that it competes in the National League, the second division of Israeli soccer — local media reporting indicates that the team in question is F.C. Kiryat Yam, located near Haifa.

In addition to match-fixing suspicions, the arrested individuals are believed to have connections with a criminal organization accused of laundering millions of shekels. This laundering reportedly involved illicit betting and the creation of multiple contracts with players, according to police details.

The investigation, carried out alongside the Israel Football Association, has been scrutinizing alleged illegal activities over the past three years. On a recent Monday, numerous officers conducted early morning raids at the homes of the suspects and subsequently brought them in for questioning.

Authorities stated, "The criminal organization utilized the team as a means to execute various criminal acts, which included manipulating match outcomes, engaging in buying and selling games for illicit gambling profits, and retaining multiple contracts."

Investigators have claimed that certain matches were either purchased or sold to manipulate results, aligning bets with pre-determined outcomes. The police emphasized that betting occurred after gaining knowledge of the results.

It is estimated that the criminal activities may have funneled tens of millions of shekels through this illicit network.