SARAJEVO, Bosnia-Herzegovina (AP) — Referees and soccer officials were among the 12 people arrested in Bosnia on Monday in a match-fixing investigation into the country's second division, prosecutors and police said.
Suspects are facing charges of organized crime, bribery and abuse of position, the Bosnian Prosecutor's Office said in a statement.
The suspects have been implicated in "demanding and receiving gifts and other benefits" to fix the outcome of matches during the 2018-19 season, the statement added.
Police said they arrested 12 people and searched five locations as part of Monday's operation. Officers have confiscated mobile phones and other objects that could serve as evidence in the investigation.
The Bosnian soccer federation said it fully supports the investigation and is ready to help any way it can, adding the damage made is "immeasurable."
The arrests come while UEFA is looking to create a multi-national agency that would help coordinate match-fixing investigations.
