NEW YORK, July 19 (UPI) -- Soccer games are being fixed all over the world, often by Asian organized crime, sports and law enforcement officials say.
Recent scandals have shaken professional leagues from Turkey, where the coming season may have to be delayed for an investigation, to South Korea, where 55 players have been indicted.
Authorities tell The New York Times the rash of match-fixing cases is linked to syndicates based in Singapore, Malaysia and nearby countries.
"Probably 90 percent of the legal and illegal gambling on football around the world takes place in Southeast Asia," said Chris Eaton, a former Interpol official who now heads security for FIFA, soccer's world governing body. In May, FIFA put up $20 million to form a unit within Interpol's Singapore branch to fight game-rigging in Asia.
In Turkey, more than 30 players, coaches and club officials were arrested last week on game-fixing charges, among them a former president of the national soccer federation. The club that won the Turkish Cup last season is returning it until its leaders are cleared.
Leagues in Finland, Hungary, Italy, Germany, El Salvador, Israel, China, Thailand, Zimbabwe, Vietnam and Greece also are under investigation.
