European Olympic chief arrested over ticketing

August 17, 2016

Patrick Hickey, President of the European Olympic Committees, has been arrested in Rio over illegal Olympic ticket sales according to various media reports.

In a statement, police said they had discovered evidence linking Hickey to an international scheme to illegally pass Olympic tickets to touts, who were reselling them at well above their original price.

There are also reports saying The 71-year-old tried to escape arrest before eventually being caught.

Mr Hickey reportedly became unwell after his arrest and was taken by police to the nearby hospital in Rio.

Brazilian media believe Mr Hickey’s arrest is related to the THG Sports group, alleged to have resold tickets for Rio 2016 illegally.