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Olympic ticket touts to face £20,000 fines
Home secretary Theresa May has revealed that the unauthorised sale of tickets to the 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games will be met with a fine of up to £20,000.
The sale of tickets to London 2012 events without permission was made a criminal offence in 2006, which would have seen fines of up to £5,000 imposed on ticket touts. A dedicated unit - Operation Podium - has been established by the Metropolitan Police in order to crack down on touts and Olympic-related fraud.
May said: "By increasing the fines for touting we are sending a clear message to criminals and prospective criminals that it is not worth their while and they are not welcome. "The focus of the government and everyone involved is to deliver a safe and secure Olympic and Paralympic Games that London, the UK and the world can enjoy."