05/03/2008

Arrest In Premiership Ticket Tout Probe

Police investigating alleged ticket touting at Premier League football clubs have arrested a 32-year-old man.

The man, who is from Blackburn, was arrested at Manchester United's ground Old Trafford during their Champions League match against Lyon last night.

He is being held on suspicion of fraud, ticket touting and money laundering. He was arrested by Lancashire Police, acting on behalf of the Metropolitan Police, and was taken to Blackburn police station.

Two houses in Blackburn were also searched as part of the investigation.

The investigation into alleged ticket touting began last October and is funded by the UK football-policing unit, working in partnership with the Football Association and the Premier League.

It is believed that tickets for matches involving top clubs are being sold at inflated prices via a website and police believe that the scale of the fraud could amount to hundreds of thousands of pounds.

Detective Sergeant Will Hodgson, from the Metropolitan Police's public order crime team unit, said: "Ticket touting is not only illegal, but it can lead to an increase in violence at football games, primarily through segregation breakdown.

"Genuine fans should not buy tickets from touts as they are potentially fuelling violence and lucrative criminal activity."

It is illegal to sell tickets outside a football ground, under the Violent Crime Reduction Act, and anyone caught doing so faces a maximum fine of £5,000.

(KMcA/JM)


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