The home grounds of Arsenal and Liverpool were the scene of a swoop on ticket touts, with eight arrests being made. The first four were arrested near the Emirate Stadium, Arsenal’s home ground, before kick off on Saturday. They have been bailed to appear in court next month. The following day the other four were arrested nearby Liverpool’s stadium, Anfield and are still in custody. The arrested were all men aged between 23-47.
The undercover operation to catch these criminals in codenamed Podium, and one of the officers working on this case stated that Ticket touting was illegal and the criminals were gaining financially by exploiting clubs and fans.
Genuine fans should always ensure that they buy their tickets from registered outlets, and never off a man in the street or in a pub. They also run the risk of getting given tickets which put them in amongst the supporters for the opposition. Operation Podium is a working partnership between the Metropolitan police, Merseyside police and the Emirates and Anfield stadium.