Police say they need hard evidence to crack down on match-fixing cartels, after coming under pressure to arrest suspected ringleaders of networks which targeted hundreds of football games in Europe and beyond

The man pictured above is believed to be Dan Tan Seet Eng, alleged ringleader of the syndicate Europol is trying to crack. Little is known about him except that he is 48 years old, Singaporean and based in Singapore.

Singapore's role in international match-rigging has long been clear – Tan is wanted in Italy over the calcioscommesse scandal, which overshadowed the country's preparations for last year's European championships and saw several top footballers arrested.

Tan is believed to be also on the radar of other countries, including Germany and Hungary.

Reports say another key figure in the scene is a man dubbed “Mr. X”, Tan’s mentor. The New Paper also reported that two European-based anti-corruption investigators have told them that there are at least five other Singapore-based ‘tentacles’ and Tan is not “solely in control”.

A leading voice in match-rigging, investigative journalist Declan Hill, believes Tan is well connected to powerful people.

He said at an Interpol conference in Rome, “There are five words that can sum up this whole conference and all its themes: education, player awareness and integrity. There are five words that if ignored mean that we will lose sport as surely as sport in Asia has been destroyed – leaving our industry, our passion, our gift to the next generation devastated.

“These then, are the five words: Dan Tan must be arrested.”