Vast match-fixing case has London at its centre

London is at the centre of an international a match-fixing ring accused of manipulating over 300 football matches, the Daily Telegraph has claimed. The capital's position as a global centre of finance and betting is believed to have provided the necessary cover for the illegal transfer of millions of dollars by the fixers.

The gang has become the focus of a widespread investigation being conducted by Fifa, Interpol and national law-enforcement agencies. The fixers are alleged to have deliberately rigged international friendly matches, as well as hundreds of European club matches, in order to make hundreds of millions of dollars on the Asian betting markets.

The scale and breadth of the alleged match fixing is unprecedented. Fixers are believed to have operated across three continents, paying officials thousands of pounds to deliver specific scores or events. Employees of at least six national football associations are being examined on charges of corruption, while the case has raised serious concerns over the impartiality of forthcoming under-17 and under-20 Fifa World Championships in central America.

The investigation centres on Wilson Raj Perumal, a convicted Singaporean match-fixer who earlier this year occupied a flat in the Wembley City development, overlooking England's national stadium.

Perumal is currently being held in Finland on suspicion of bribing players in the Finish domestic league, and his arrest in February has been seen as a major breakthrough by investigators. A subsequent police raid of his London flat proved fruitless, but telephone records sieved by the Scandinavian authorities have revealed Perumal's wide network of contacts, a list that includes 60 UK-based individuals.

Chris Eaton, Fifa's head of security, emphasised the danger corruption posed to world football. "The threat from match-fixing to the integrity of the global game is significant. England is the home of football and London is a global financial centre so it does not surprise me that the financial aspects of this activity lead to London.

"Interviews with those involved have told us that that fixers can spend upwards of $300,000 (£182,000) to stage a friendly international and they do that with the expectation of a significant profit margin. Our information is that we are talking about tens of millions of dollars in profit from each successful fix." ·