In Cádiz, Spain, a significant operation led by the Civil Guard targeted a criminal group involved in fixing football matches to defraud betting operators. The probe resulted in the arrest of two leaders and four other individuals, among them a goalkeeper and a defender from a local club.
The investigation also identified 34 people under formal inquiry, including six active professionals playing in the Third Division. The remainder acted as money mules, using their identities to funnel funds and support illicit betting activities.
During offshore recording, authorities recovered 16,695 euros in cash, multiple cryptocurrency accounts, betting documents, and substantial amounts of mobile devices and computer storage media. The organization is suspected of profiting from more than one million euros in prize money, with estimates suggesting that more than 30,000 bettors could be affected by bets placed in good faith. (Source: Civil Guard, Cádiz Province)
The operation, conducted in February of the prior year, involved the Conil de la Frontera football team’s executive board. The group aimed to reach the promotion phase, but the end of the season appeared inconsistent with the early stages, raising concerns about the integrity of the matches. (Source: Local authorities)
The board observed that some players did not meet the professional standards expected in competitive play and suspected ties to organized sports betting rings. (Source: Investigative notes)
Initial inquiries focused on data requests from the Directorate General for Gambling, which oversees all sports bets within the country and compiles betting data for Conil CF during the 2021-2022 season. Bookmakers provided a list exceeding 100,000 bets, highlighting unusual activity patterns. (Source: Gambling Authority)
Researchers first noticed a disproportionate surge in bets during the team’s second half of the season. The volume and size of bets on these matches stood out compared with other football games, drawing further scrutiny.
Conil CF bets reaching €300 per wager
Bets on Conil CF were markedly out of line with norms. Other teams typically received bets ranging from 1 to 50 euros, yet Conil CF often saw wagers exceeding 300 euros. This amount aligned with the regulation limits for Third Division clubs and was repeatedly used by bookmakers to mask underlying fraud. (Source: Betting Records)
To conceal the activities, the group placed a mix of seemingly high-yielding bets among routine, low-risk bets. The aim was to avoid triggering alarms from bettors and to keep accounts from being blocked. (Source: Audits)
Another tactic involved the use of money mules—individuals who lent their betting IDs to the organization, enabling inflated profits. Some participants received a share of gains, while others gained access to privileged information to place their own bets. (Source: Surveillance Files)
When investigators reviewed the team’s data, unusual patterns appeared among certain professional players in the Third Division, notably in goals conceded against Conil CF. After questioning the players, authorities confirmed that the suspicious activities pointed to the goalkeeper and the defender, though other players could also be related by family ties. (Source: Intercept Records)
The ringleaders of the betting scheme maintained connections with parts of the professional football world and operated as sports predictions consultants, commonly known as tipsters. (Source: Case Files)
The operation involved coordination with the Anti-Corruption Prosecutor of Cádiz Provincial Court and was overseen by the Civil Guard in Cádiz, with involvement from Court No. 3 of Chiclana de la Frontera. (Source: Official Proceedings)