Operation "Penalty": 5 arrests in Reggio Calabria for sports fraud and betting fraud.

The emergency began in the early hours of October 29thOperation “Penalty”, which saw the involvement of the Carabinieri of the Provincial Command of Reggio Calabria and Financiers of the Special Currency Police Unit of the Guardia di Finanza.

The police carried out a precautionary measure of house arrest towards five people, investigated for criminal conspiracy aimed at sports fraud, as part of an investigation coordinated by the Public Prosecutor's Office of Reggio Calabria.

The investigations, started in January 2024 dai Carabinieri of the Investigative Unit of Reggio Calabria, continued with the collaboration of the Guardia di Finanza, who was already carrying out parallel activities for another Prosecutor's Office.

The investigation started from a report from the Customs and Monopolies Agency relating to a anomalous flow of bets on a football match in the championship Spring.

The investigators thus discovered the existence of a criminal network led by a referee of the Reggio Calabria Section, active in the categories Spring, Spring 2 and Serie Cwhich he would have addressed the results of the matches arbitrated by him to make them coincide with the results which are the subject of the rigged bets of the group.

After disciplinary suspension decided by the sports justice bodies, the referee would have involved other race officials, bribing them with payments up to 10.000 euros per game to alter the course of the races.

In particular, it would have oriented the results so that the prediction would come true. “over”, that is, a higher than average number of goals, through the concession of non-existent penalties or the unjustified expulsion of players.

Il fraud system was also powered by two Tuscan entrepreneurs, father and son, owners of abetting agency in Sesto Fiorentino (FI), who financed the association and they conveyed bets for high amounts on fixed matches, including through unauthorized foreign providers within the European Union.

Le bank and gaming account checks they confirmed the use of irregular betting platforms, with the aim of mask money flows and the huge profits derived from sports fraud.

The “Penalty” operation represents a major blow to the phenomenon of illegal betting and corruption in the world of youth and professional football.