IPL ticket black market racket busted

New Delhi: Exploiting the IPL frenzy by posing as authorised DDCA officials, a black-marketing syndicate was busted for selling “not for sale” complimentary passes at exorbitant prices. Three men have been arrested, one of them was also previously involved in a ticket black marketing case during the auto expo in Faridabad.“The complimentary passes were being sold for nearly Rs 20,000 each, while regular tickets were sold at almost double their printed price depending on the demand and popularity of the match,” said DCP (crime) Sanjeev Kumar Yadav.The accused were identified as Mukeem (35), a resident of Moradabad; Gufran (36), a resident of Jamia Nagar; and Mohammad Faisal (38), a resident of Seelampur. The accused were apprehended near Delhi Gate on Thursday following a trap laid by a team led by inspectors Man Singh and Sunder Gautam. Police said 54 IPL match tickets, including 33 complimentary passes, along with cash, were seized from the accused.Police records show that the accused were involved in previous criminal cases as well.During interrogation, the accused revealed that they were part of a wider network engaged in black marketing IPL tickets across different cities. Investigators said they used to travel by air to cities hosting IPL matches and procured tickets and complimentary passes through various contacts.“Premium tickets were supplied at inflated prices to people involved in online betting operations inside stadiums as well as to pickpockets and other criminal elements,” the senior police officer added.A case has been registered. Cops are probing the role of others linked to the syndicate and examining the source of the tickets and complimentary passes. The accused are being taken into police custody on remand for further questioning.