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Bencher
The inside story on how the underworld seduces NRL players
June 5, 2016 5:00am
MICHAEL CARAYANNIS and REBECCA WILSON
FREE sex, free drugs and free betting — that’s how police say NRL stars are being lured into the murky criminal underworld.
In the wake of this week’s revelations about investigations into NRL match-fixing, The Sunday Telegraph can reveal the infiltration techniques police believe are used by some organised criminals to entrap players from across the league and then blackmail them into rigging matches.
Detective Inspector Wayne Walpole, in charge of stopping organised crime from infiltrating sport, said these techniques were well known to police.
“The ‘honey-pot’ (situation) is where a player is set up with Miss World,” Insp Walpole said.
“All of a sudden there is a heap of photos, video and the player might be a married person. All of a sudden they are compromised (and criminals will threaten) that they will show photos to wives, girlfriends.”
In exchange for keeping these pictures away from the public, the player will be made to help fix matches.
“The same principle applies with the other “freebies”.
“It’s not just with the ‘honey-pot’,” Insp Walpole said.
“It could be a drug issue where someone has supplied them a recreational drug for a night and (the player) takes their gamble with the drug-testing laws and. of course. the person who supplied that drug has the player compromised. Compromise can happen in any numerous ways.
“He may not even realise they are doing it. Obviously they don’t at first — then it becomes too late.”
It is far removed from days of the past where criminal figures would rip one-off payments from players.
Now they are using the leverage to win big on gambling on matches, generally online on overseas websites.
Infiltration is not restricted to drugs and sex. Even hospital visits to sick children can be used.
“The bikies are great at it,” Insp Walpole said.
“They’ll have charity runs where some of them will sell as much gear as they can but they will have a cheque for a thousand dollars ready to give to the kids’ hospital.
“They will invite sportsmen along to throw a ball to the kids but it’s all about slowly forming that relationship.
“Sport and gambling is a billion-dollar industry.
“Couple them together, don’t think organised crime is going to sit on the sidelines and just watch and clap.
“(We had) photographic information that high-ranking members of the Comancheros had supplied brand new iPhones to a jockey and a trainer they didn’t know.”
“Because you have exotic sports betting now, (they say) ‘we don’t want money from you but you need to do this in a particular game’.”
One NRL club has blamed the signing of a high-profile league identity to their training group for not only bringing a wealth of knowledge but also links to people connected with the criminal underworld.
Some players are believed to have quickly developed the same links.
High-stakes gambling is not a new thing for the NRL, with many players legendary for their love of the punt.
One player was spotted recently losing $14,000 on greyhound races, punting at a pub, while a retired NRL player witnessed another player laying bets of $10,000 and $15,000 at a time on various race meetings.
But it is the links that players can develop from such big wagering that has authorities increasingly worried.
Free meals and accommodation are also part of plans to entice players into the criminal world.
“(Players) have to look at why people are forming these relationships,” Insp Walpole said. “When they don’t know them, why are they buying them a meal? Why are they buying them a drink? Is it a motel room?
“We know players who have been set up with prostitutes in the past and have been filmed. We know they have been given recreational drugs so they’ve been compromised.
“We know that and we talk to the governing bodies about that.”
The problem is widespread and not restricted to rugby league, despite Insp Walpole’s Organised Crime Squad investigating match-fixing in the NRL.
Horse racing has also had its problems.
“There was a jockey,” Insp Walpole said.
“(We had) photographic information that high-ranking members of the Comancheros had supplied brand new iPhones to a jockey and a trainer they didn’t know. He didn’t know them.
“I spoke to the jockey myself and said: ‘Why do you think they gave you an iPhone?’
“That was an attempt at infiltration without a doubt.
“Blind Freddy would recognise that.
“They were convicted criminals, and high-ranking members of an outlaw motorcycle gang, through a third party, were able to meet a couple of jockeys and a trainer and able to supply a number of brand-new phones for no apparent reason.
“That’s just the slow process of infiltration.”
June 5, 2016 5:00am
MICHAEL CARAYANNIS and REBECCA WILSON
FREE sex, free drugs and free betting — that’s how police say NRL stars are being lured into the murky criminal underworld.
In the wake of this week’s revelations about investigations into NRL match-fixing, The Sunday Telegraph can reveal the infiltration techniques police believe are used by some organised criminals to entrap players from across the league and then blackmail them into rigging matches.
Detective Inspector Wayne Walpole, in charge of stopping organised crime from infiltrating sport, said these techniques were well known to police.
“The ‘honey-pot’ (situation) is where a player is set up with Miss World,” Insp Walpole said.
“All of a sudden there is a heap of photos, video and the player might be a married person. All of a sudden they are compromised (and criminals will threaten) that they will show photos to wives, girlfriends.”
In exchange for keeping these pictures away from the public, the player will be made to help fix matches.
“The same principle applies with the other “freebies”.
“It’s not just with the ‘honey-pot’,” Insp Walpole said.
“It could be a drug issue where someone has supplied them a recreational drug for a night and (the player) takes their gamble with the drug-testing laws and. of course. the person who supplied that drug has the player compromised. Compromise can happen in any numerous ways.
“He may not even realise they are doing it. Obviously they don’t at first — then it becomes too late.”
It is far removed from days of the past where criminal figures would rip one-off payments from players.
Now they are using the leverage to win big on gambling on matches, generally online on overseas websites.
Infiltration is not restricted to drugs and sex. Even hospital visits to sick children can be used.
“The bikies are great at it,” Insp Walpole said.
“They’ll have charity runs where some of them will sell as much gear as they can but they will have a cheque for a thousand dollars ready to give to the kids’ hospital.
“They will invite sportsmen along to throw a ball to the kids but it’s all about slowly forming that relationship.
“Sport and gambling is a billion-dollar industry.
“Couple them together, don’t think organised crime is going to sit on the sidelines and just watch and clap.
“(We had) photographic information that high-ranking members of the Comancheros had supplied brand new iPhones to a jockey and a trainer they didn’t know.”
“Because you have exotic sports betting now, (they say) ‘we don’t want money from you but you need to do this in a particular game’.”
One NRL club has blamed the signing of a high-profile league identity to their training group for not only bringing a wealth of knowledge but also links to people connected with the criminal underworld.
Some players are believed to have quickly developed the same links.
High-stakes gambling is not a new thing for the NRL, with many players legendary for their love of the punt.
One player was spotted recently losing $14,000 on greyhound races, punting at a pub, while a retired NRL player witnessed another player laying bets of $10,000 and $15,000 at a time on various race meetings.
But it is the links that players can develop from such big wagering that has authorities increasingly worried.
Free meals and accommodation are also part of plans to entice players into the criminal world.
“(Players) have to look at why people are forming these relationships,” Insp Walpole said. “When they don’t know them, why are they buying them a meal? Why are they buying them a drink? Is it a motel room?
“We know players who have been set up with prostitutes in the past and have been filmed. We know they have been given recreational drugs so they’ve been compromised.
“We know that and we talk to the governing bodies about that.”
The problem is widespread and not restricted to rugby league, despite Insp Walpole’s Organised Crime Squad investigating match-fixing in the NRL.
Horse racing has also had its problems.
“There was a jockey,” Insp Walpole said.
“(We had) photographic information that high-ranking members of the Comancheros had supplied brand new iPhones to a jockey and a trainer they didn’t know. He didn’t know them.
“I spoke to the jockey myself and said: ‘Why do you think they gave you an iPhone?’
“That was an attempt at infiltration without a doubt.
“Blind Freddy would recognise that.
“They were convicted criminals, and high-ranking members of an outlaw motorcycle gang, through a third party, were able to meet a couple of jockeys and a trainer and able to supply a number of brand-new phones for no apparent reason.
“That’s just the slow process of infiltration.”
