Arrest in London 2012 Olympics tickets probe

Wednesday, June 29, 2011
12:29 PM

A man has been arrested for illegally offering to sell tickets to next year’s London Olympic Games, police said.

The arrest of the 23-year-old was carried out under the London Olympic and Paralympic Games Act 2006.

Detectives from Operation Podium held the man at his home in Brent, north-west London, yesterday, Scotland Yard said. He has been bailed to return in early August.

“He was arrested on suspicion of fraud by misrepresentation and offering to sell a ticket under Section 31 of the London Olympic and Paralympic Games Act,” a spokesman said.

The organisers of the Games had passed on information about activity on social networking sites seeking to lure people to a fraudulent website offering Olympic tickets, he added.

Detective Chief Inspector Nick Downing said: “As we have all seen, there has been a huge demand for tickets to see this world-class sporting spectacle, and unfortunately criminals will be looking for every opportunity to exploit this.

“We will be looking to use the London Olympic and Paralympic Games Act 2006, and existing police powers, wherever appropriate, to stop those who seek to make money from genuine fans through fake websites and other ticket scams.

“At a time when people are finding out if they have been allocated any tickets from LOCOG (the organisers), the public need to be more wary than ever about buying from an unauthorised source.

“If they are tempted to do so, they run the risk of being ripped off for non-existent tickets, and having your personal details stolen and used in other crimes. To buy Olympic tickets safely, always visit the London 2012 website (www.tickets.london2012.com) for ticket information, including future opportunities.”

Operation Podium is a dedicated team within the Metropolitan Police’s specialist crime directorate, whose remit is to prevent and investigate a range of serious and organised crime affecting the Olympic economy.