YOU WILL NEVER READ THIS IN WESTERN PRESS
Police Nab Britons over N73m World Cup Scam
From Tunde Sulaiman in Johannesburg, 07.04.2010
Two weeks after a Nigerian was allegedly caught trying to scalp World Cup tickets, two Britons were at the weekend nabbed in an even bigger South Africa 2010 ticket racket.
Karen Sorensen, 37, and Brendan Evans, 38, are alleged to have illegally sold World Cup tickets worth £290,000 (about N73 million).
The two men were nabbed after South African police swooped on their hotel in Johannesburg on Friday following a tip off.
Police spokesman Vishnu Naidoo said officers seized a haul of 122 World Cup tickets during the pre-planned operation.
Colonel Naidoo said: "The police raided the hotel in the Sandton suburb of Johannesburg and made two arrests. We believe the suspects had already sold a large quantity of tickets."
Both men have already appeared before one of the special courts set up by the South African government to handle World Cup related offences in Randburg, Johannesburg.
The judge released them on a £1,300 (about N325, 000) bail and ordered them to reappear before him on July 28.
Police said records showed Sorensen had arrived in South Africa on June 10 and was due to leave on August 31.
Evans, whom officers said had dual US and Zimbwean citizenship, was also believed to have been due to stay in South Africa.
Detectives said the pair had been working for an established ticketing tour operator during the event.
But Colonel Naidoo said it was illegal for anyone other than a FIFA subsidiary agent to sell World Cup tickets.
A fortnight ago, Kunle Benjamin was jailed for three years after being found guilty of being in unlawful possession of 30 World Cup tickets.
According to reports, the Nigerian caught the eyes of Pretoria police when he was spotted driving erratically through the streets of the South African capital.
After being arrested, Benjamin was hauled before a Pretoria magistrate court, which subsequently found him guilty of unlawful possession.
Unfortunately, despite the best efforts by the authorities’ ticket scalping will always occur during major events where desperate fans are ready to pay so much to lay their hands on the prized item.
Even in communist China, scalping was evident during the 2008 Olympics, with scalpers peddling their illicit trade right beneath the noses of police officers at the Birds Nest Stadium, Beijing.
COMMENTS [total: 4]
BBC, CNN etc, will not give this the publicity it deserves, because they are their own.
This is preposterous, be-numbing and senseless. These issues lay the framework for future vengeance. The way Nigerians are tre...
This is very interesting. a Nigerian jailed for 3 years for being in possession of just 30 tickets but the British that has s...
Interesting! I have not seen this story in the world\'s media like I saw the story about the Nigerian caught with 30 world cup...
| Posted: at | |
TRENDING GISTS 
Family Of Junior Pope Releases Late Actor’s Official Burial Poster
BBN Star, Phyna Shares Raunchy Video To Update Her Fans How She Vacation In Maldives Is Going
PIC: Aspiring Doctor Left Brain Dead After Friends Pushed Him Into Lake Knowing He Can't Swim
Chad Holds Presidential Election After 3 Years Of Military Rule