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

Singapore authorities have come under criticism for an apparent inaction on the matter. Police are assisting Europol at the moment, but are seeking “concrete evidence”.

"Syndicated match-fixing is a complex global problem that can only be effectively eradicated if all countries work together to combat the scourge," it said in a statement.

The latest news raised potential problems for Singapore's reputation, as well as questions about how authorities are dealing with the match-fixing syndicates, analysts said.

"This story has the potential to severely damage the global reputation of Singapore as a safe and ethical financial hub in Asia," said Jonathan Galaviz, managing director of US-based consultancy Galaviz & Co, who has closely watched Asia's gaming industry.

"Singapore's public policy makers need to reassess whether they have enough resources dedicated to monitoring and enforcing laws relating to illegal gambling and sports corruption in the country," he told AFP.

"It looks like this global investigation has a long way to go and Singapore's government must get ahead of the curve on it quickly.

"Major questions will arise as to what the government authorities in Singapore knew, when did they know it, and why this illegal network running out of Singapore was not caught sooner.

"What is disturbing about this case is that it seems that Singapore's status as a financial hub was potentially being used for nefarious purposes, and that is going to be extremely disturbing to a lot of people."

Interpol secretary Ronald Noble told the Straits Times that the small, wealthy country's "reputation would continue to suffer" until arrests are made.