The ICAC and Hong Kong Police arrested 19 people in an alleged football match-fixing and illegal betting syndicate, including prominent coaches Lo Kwan-yee and Johnny Poon Man-chun.
The Independent Commission Against Corruption (ICAC) and the Hong Kong Police Force’s Organised Crime and Triad Bureau have dismantled an alleged criminal syndicate involving figures from Hong Kong football, arresting 19 people in a joint operation code-named ‘Operation Double-edged’. The group is suspected of running illegal football betting activities across local and overseas matches, including World Cup fixtures, while also allegedly using bribery and corruption to manipulate results in Hong Kong’s domestic competitions.
Authorities said the syndicate operated for two to three years and handled more than HK$6 million in illegal wagers. Investigators allege that the group used networks of active and former footballers to manage betting accounts, collect illegal wagers, and facilitate match-fixing in local First Division and U22 matches. A total of at least five matches across the 2024–25 and 2025–26 seasons are believed to be manipulated.
Those arrested include coaches, active and retired players, suspected bettors, and individuals allegedly acting as intermediaries for illegal gambling. Among the arrested are former Hong Kong Footballer of the Year Lo Kwan-yee and Kitchee U18 and U22 head coach Johnny Poon Man-chun.
Lo, who coached Citizen during the 2024-25 season, moved to Supreme at the beginning of this season, leading the club to a First Division title. Supreme have stated on social media that they would “fully and unconditionally” cooperate with the investigation and reiterated a zero-tolerance stance on illegal conduct and match manipulation.
Kitchee have also confirmed they had temporarily suspended a coach as a precautionary administrative measure during the investigation, stressing that the decision was not based on media reports and did not reflect any pre-judgment. The club did not specifically name Poon, and said they would not comment on “individual reports or speculation.”
Bill Ng (centre-left) and Chiew Tsi-huen (centre-right) stated that more arrests are possible (Credit: ICAC)
ICAC principal investigator Bill Ng said the syndicate was uncovered during an earlier investigation into football-related corruption. He said investigators found evidence that some young players were simultaneously involved in match-fixing and acted as illegal betting intermediaries, collecting wagers on both local and international matches. In one example cited by the ICAC, a player allegedly received hundreds of thousands of dollars in illegal bets and used part of the proceeds to bribe another player into deliberately losing a match, allowing the syndicate to profit.
Ng confirmed that nine men aged 22 to 49 were arrested by the ICAC, including two coaches—one from a First Division team and one from a Hong Kong Premier League U22 side—along with seven players, six of whom were from three First Division teams. He added that investigations remain ongoing and further arrests are possible.
Police Superintendent Chiew Tsi-huen said the police had separately arrested another 11 people during their own investigation, including alleged syndicate members and bettors. He stated that four of those arrested were believed to be active footballers in the lower divisions, and that three of those four had played for a former First Division club, believed to have been 3 Sing. Chiew also confirmed that one of the arrested individuals was a 51-year-old woman believed to be a key figure in the syndicate, and that the group’s leadership also included individuals managing multiple illegal betting accounts and recruiting players into the operation.
Authorities said the syndicate relied heavily on close personal networks within football circles to reduce the risk of detection. Investigators allege that some members not only participated in fixing matches but also acted as intermediaries for illegal betting on both domestic and international football, including major tournaments such as the World Cup.
Ng further stated in response to media questions that a total of five current and former football clubs were under investigation. He declined to disclose specific names due to the ongoing nature of the case, but confirmed that multiple teams across different divisions were being examined.
The case has also drawn attention to the recent history of 3 Sing, which withdrew from the First Division at the end of the 2024–25 season. The club cited the Football Association of Hong Kong, China’s refusal to allow its participation in the Youth Premier League as a key reason for its withdrawal.
Following their exit, nine of its players transferred to Third Division side Ravia, a club owned by the same principal. 3 Sing’s First Division membership was subsequently sold and the club was renamed as Bright Cerulean.
Last month, former Hong Kong U23 representative Brian Fok, and two others were convicted and sentenced as part of the ICAC’s ‘Operation Green Grass’ investigation into match-fixing and illegal betting.
Investigations remain ongoing, and authorities have not ruled out further arrests.
