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The typical avid Olympics fan around the globe watches his or her favorite team or player with enthusiasm and may participate occasionally in an office pool or bets with a buddy on the outcome.
It's all entertainment.
But to organized crime, the Olympics globally are an invitation to manipulation and massive profit from gambling, explains a new report in Joseph Farah's G2 Bulletin.
Which is why the International Olympic Committee has renewed its agreement with INTERPOL, the world's largest police agency, to "protect the integrity of sports."
The two sides first came together a few years ago to address ways to prevent the undue influence of racketeers on athletics. It's well-known that they were not averse to handing out cash to athletes to make certain a result turns out the way they want.
"Competition manipulation remains a global concern, with organized criminal syndicates operating on a large transnational scale, and targeting an ever wider range of sports," explained Paul Stanfield.
He works with INTERPOL on the problems of "organized and emerging crime."
The two sides reached their first agreement to work together and now are renewing their commitment, through 2021.
They will continue their work, including training sessions to "raise awareness and build capacity within law enforcement and sports organizations to facilitate effective investigations."
During the term of their first cooperative effort, they set up 30 events with 46 different nations and trained about 1,100 participants.
"Despite national efforts to respond to competition manipulation, the solution lies through a coordinated approach, between the sports movement and law enforcement, at all levels. Our on-going partnership with the IOC sets the example of an effective strategic partnership at the international level," Stanfield said.
The agreement enhances the work of committees such as the Council of Europe Convention on the Manipulation of Sports Competitions as well as the Olympic Movement Code on the Prevention of the Manipulation of Competitions.
For the rest of this report, and more, please go to Joseph Farah's G2 Bulletin.