Kathmandu, October 16

The Asian Football Confederation today confirmed the Asian governing body coordinated with Nepal Police and Sportradar Security Services in arresting five Nepali footballers in charge of match fixing.

“On the back of long-term collaboration between the AFC, Sportradar Security Services and Nepal Police, the Kathmandu Metropolitan Police Crime Division arrested five Nepali players, former and current, linked to match-fixing this week,” the AFC said in a release.

“The process leading to the arrests began when suspicious betting patterns were detected on a number of matches played by the Nepali national team. A year-long investigation followed, involving matches stretching back to 2008, further intelligence gathering revealing suspicious financial transactions linked to Nepali nationals,” the release added. “The intelligence gathered was shared with Nepali Police and a formal investigation began which has so far resulted in five arrests. The AFC will launch the appropriate disciplinary proceedings in due course,” AFC added.

The Kathmandu Metropolitan Police Crime Division on Wednesday arrested five Nepali players — national team skipper Sagar Thapa, vice-captain Sandip Rai, goalkeeper Ritesh Thapa and former defenders Anjan KC and Bikash Singh Chhetry — in charge of accumulating a huge amount of money through match fixing.

The five footballers, who have been already banned by the All Nepal Football Association until final verdict, have been kept at the Kathmandu Metropolitan Police Range and are expected to be presented before the court after festive holidays.

Police have claimed that the five footballers had already accepted the charges and revealed they were involved in the scam in various international matches from 2008 to 2014.

“The AFC adopts a zero tolerance policy towards match-fixing and a 360 degree view on the issue through a strategy of prevention, detection and response. These arrests show that the strategy is working. We applaud the Nepali Police for their reaction to the information and intelligence we have generated in partnership with Sportradar”,” said AFC acting General Secretary Dato’ Windsor John in the release.

Sportradar Managing Director Security Services Andreas Krannich said: “In the last few years our Fraud Detection System reports have been integral to over 100 arrests worldwide around match-fixing and manipulation so we are proud to see our reports and intelligence services continue to make a difference in countries that love and cherish the sport. But our work is only as good as the stakeholders who receive the reports and intelligence. So we are even more proud of the commitment and work of the AFC and

the Nepal Police. They have laid down a clear marker to all those passionate about Nepal and Asian football that match-fixing is taken seriously and those that want to perpetrate it will not go unpunished.”

Having led the arrests, Kathmandu Valley Metropolitan Police Senior Superintendent of Police, Crime Division Sarbendra Khanal said: “This is an important week in how Nepal presents its stance on match fixing. We extend our thanks to Sportradar and the AFC for the information and intelligence that they unearthed. We have worked tremendously well together to date and I am confident we can continue to work effectively going forward”.