HONG KONG, June 26 (Xinhua) -- Hong Kong's law enforcement bodies said on Friday that they had dismantled a crime syndicate controlled by local soccer personalities and arrested 19 people on suspicion of illegal betting on local and international matches, including the ongoing 2026 FIFA World Cup.

The Independent Commission Against Corruption (ICAC) took into custody two coaches and seven soccer players on suspicion of rigging local games through bribery.

The Hong Kong Police Force arrested five core members of the syndicate, including one also arrested by ICAC, as well as six gamblers.

Police investigation showed that soccer players collected bets and placed them through accounts set up by leaders of a syndicate they are connected with on multiple illegal gambling websites. The syndicate had helped place illegal bets worth around 6 million Hong Kong dollars (about 765,126 U.S. dollars) in nearly three years.

The operation, which started on Tuesday, is ongoing and more arrests are likely. According to Hong Kong law, bet collectors could face imprisonment for up to seven years and gamblers up to nine months once convicted. ■