South Korean basketball players suspected of match-fixing

SEOUL, South Korea - South Korean police say they are investigating 11 professional basketball players on suspicion of illegal gambling and match fixing in the top-tier Korean Basketball League.

A police official from Gyeonggi Province, who declined to be named citing official regulations, said Tuesday it is believed at least one of the players missed shots intentionally during a game that he placed a bet on his team losing.

He said that the player made several shots that didn't touch the rim during a February game when he bet 1 million Korean won ($830) on his team losing.

Investigators are yet to release the names of the players, their teams or the games involved.

The police official said the 11 basketball players were among 26 people being questioned for illegal gambling activities between 2009 and 2015. He said most of them allegedly placed bets on basketball, football, and baseball games using illegal gambling sites.

South Korea's professional sport leagues have been rocked by match-fixing scandals in recent years that have led to imprisonments and lifetime bans of several players and coaches.