Those arrested as are believed to be players and staff members from the one VPL club, bottom of the league Southern Stars, and were allegedly involved in an international match-fixing ring worth $2 million.
 
According to police, the operation by the Purana Task Force and the Sporting Integrity Intelligence Unit commenced last August after Football Federation Australia provided information to police regarding concerns surrounding unusual betting activities.
 
Several of the 10 players and staff members arrested are understood to have come from the United Kingdom to play in Australia during the British off-season.
 
"Further match-fixing risks are imminent in Australia, partly because of localised overseas betting on Australian sporting events due to our favourable time zone," Victoria deputy police commissioner Graham Ashton said in a media release on Sunday.
 
"It is vital that we continue gathering intelligence to take preventative action to make it difficult for organised crime to infiltrate our sporting codes.
 
"Our Sporting Integrity Intelligence Unit plays an important role in this space and will continue to conduct high level intelligence investigations across a range of serious organised and emerging crime within the sporting and racing industries.
 
"It's believed there has been estimated betting winnings in Australia and overseas of more than $2 million identified to date in connection with this particular operation.
 
"We will continue to work with the relevant sporting codes and the Australian Crime Commission to create an environment that is hostile to those seeking to engage in illegal activities involving our sporting codes."

FFA CEO David Gallop said today that FFA provided Victoria Police with information relating to suspicious betting activity and welcomed the investigation by the Sports Integrity Intelligence Unit within the force. 

“The integrity of football is paramount,” said Gallop. “We provided information to Victoria Police within 24 hours of receiving an alert from our international betting integrity monitoring agents Sportradar, who then worked closely with the investigation team.

“The arrests today show that the integrity measures put in place by FFA are working to detect illegal betting activity.

“We’re determined to keep football clean. Alongside other sports bodies in Australia and globally, we must eradicate corrupt behaviour from sport.”

In addition to the criminal proceedings in Victoria, FFA will charge the people arrested today under FFA’s National Code of Conduct. They will face a range of sanctions including life bans from football which would apply worldwide.

Those arrested are expected to face match-fixing charges, which can attract a 10-year maximum penalty.