March 20, 2008	Thursday	Rabi-ul-Awwal 11, 1429

LONDON, March 19: Police investigating suspected corruption in football transfer dealings on Wednesday carried out a raid on Birmingham City.

The early morning swoop on the Premier League club was carried out by City of London Police, the force charged with investigating irregularities in transfer dealings that were highlighted by an inquiry concluded last year by former London police chief Lord Stevens.

A spokeswoman for the force said: “We can confirm that officers from the City of London Police executed a search warrant at a premises this morning in connection with the ongoing investigation into football corruption.”

Birmingham said they were cooperating with the police and that the investigation concerned the activities of a third party unconnected with the club.

“For the avoidance of doubt no-one connected with the club has been questioned or arrested,” the club said in a statement.

The Stevens inquiry involved the examination of 362 transfers involving English clubs and found that 17 of them could not be cleared as legitimate.—AFP