National Police operation in Mallorca against match fixing

Juan Gayá Salom was arrested earlier this year. | Policia Nacional

Andrew EdePalma19/09/2023 07:50
TW0

Some 300 people in Mallorca have been implicated in an investigation by the National Police into illegal betting and match fixing. All these people are expected to receive a letter from the Tax Agency explaining that they are being inspected and will have to declare income said to have been derived from this betting.

The police investigation, which has involved Europol and Interpol, is linked to the arrest of Juan Gayá Salom in March this year. The best-known sports tipster in Spain, he was detained at his home in Santa Eugenia following a lengthy police investigation into his activities that was within the framework of an operation against a criminal organisation engaged in alleged sports scams and money laundering.

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Mallorcan sports tipster under investigation for alleged money laundering and match fixing

One of the charges against Gayá is that he bought a local football club so that he could have full control over it in order to be able to carry out his activities. Those who have been implicated include players, coaches and directors of small football clubs in the Balearics. It is said that former politicians may also be among those under suspicion.

It is claimed that Gayà established an operations centre in Santa Eugenia, from where he and others controlled an army of 'clients'. Members of what was an international group allegedly fixed matches, mainly outside Spain. Twenty-three people in all have been arrested, including the head of a major betting company that validated online bets that were made.