Joining Forces to Tackle Global Threats

Criminal gangs target athletes and officials around the world, Australia is not immune. Sport Integrity Australia will play a key role in tackling this global threat head-on.

“The threat to sport is real,” Sport Integrity Australia CEO David Sharpe warned at a recent INTERPOL General Assembly.

“Organised crime associations are targeting sports in Australia and around the world,” he said. “For this reason we must have a coordinated domestic and global enforcement focus on corruption in sport, in partnership with sport.”

Sharpe said Sport Integrity Australia was aware of increased activity overseas with criminals blackmailing sports people by befriending and then entrapping them through provision of recreational drugs, financial loans and the like.

At the General Assembly he also spoke of the rise in organised crime and the unregulated betting market globally and how intelligence sharing between enforcement agencies and the sports themselves has changed the game. He cited a recent example in table tennis (see case study).

“Match-fixing is the issue we hear most about,” said Sharpe, “but another area of concern is foreign ownership of sports franchises which allows organised crime networks to purchase franchises, embed players and officials and influence outcomes, thereby creating a haven for money laundering, tax evasion and hiding wealth.”

The INTERPOL General Assembly agreed that a response to match-fixing and corruption in sport needed to be a priority and would require law enforcement agencies from around the world to tackle match-fixing and corruption in sport together.

Recognising the work Australia is already doing in this space, the INTERPOL Anti-Corruption response team sought our expertise via the secondment of a Sport Integrity Australia staff member, Jason Whybrow, Director of Sports Wagering and Competition Manipulation.

With his long history in anti-doping, major events and sport corruption roles, Whybrow has gone to Lyon to work with the INTERPOL Financial Crime and Anti-Corruption Centre (IFCACC) to share knowledge and help with the development of a global approach to getting ahead of the global match-fixing threat.

“The role will probably involve quite a bit of stakeholder briefing internally and with other international parties about what we’ve seen in Australia and what our response has involved,” said Whybrow when asked about what the INTERPOL secondment might include.

“I am hoping that I can help the INTERPOL Anti-Corruption team with their processes and mapping as we roll out a global approach to sports corruption responses.

“Alongside the green-and-gold pathway of events, there are significant sport environment programs that INTERPOL already assists with. Many of the international engagements we are involved in are part of the INTERPOL approach and they are eager to work towards a more cohesive law enforcement coordination with global governments.”

His secondment will not only be of benefit to INTERPOL but will also value add to Australian efforts by being able to bring back key learnings and knowledge to improve responses here at home.

“We recognise what’s happening offshore and know that we can’t ignore that our sports are open to these global influences, whether that be in anti-doping, major event staging, corruption or match-fixing,” Whybrow said.

The INTERPOL General Assembly agreed that a response to match-fixing and corruption in sport needed to be a priority and would require law enforcement agencies from around the world to tackle match-fixing and corruption in sport together.

“Secondments such as this one are important for the global environment to share intel, create networks, recognise the challenges individual regions face and to achieve a more consistent approach to further protect sport, both internationally and here in Australia.”

Sharpe agreed.

“Sport unifies us globally,” he said. “We all have a role to play in protecting it from corruption. This secondment is an incredible opportunity for everyone and I am proud we could offer expertise such as Jason’s from within our agency.”

CASE STUDY

Through assessing a large number of financial transactions across betting in Australia and Europe, a global table tennis match-fixing syndicate operating in Australia was dismantled. The case was a complex investigation involving significant financial transactions and following a money trail globally. The taskforce model and information sharing between Sport Integrity Australia, law enforcement and betting service providers globally was critical to the success of this operation.