Scalper selling tickets worth P60,000 nabbed

MANILA, Philippines - Police arrested a man for illegally selling a bundle of tickets worth P60,000 for the Petron-San Mig Game 7 at the Smart Araneta Coliseum in Quezon City on Wednesday night.

Richard Sadul, 26, was spotted while trying to sell to basketball fans Philippine Basketball Association tickets outside one of the coliseum gates at past 9 p.m., said Quezon City Police District director Chief Superintendent Richard Albano.

He was charged with violation of a city ordinance prohibiting scalping, or the selling of tickets outside the authorized ticket booth.

Senior Inspector Virgilio Carodan said the suspect claimed to be a businessman and resident of Quiapo in Manila.

 Sadul was able to buy 256 pieces or P60,000 worth of tickets to the PBA Governors Cup game on Wednesday night.

When asked how he was able to buy so many tickets, the suspect claimed he was ordered by a politician to buy tickets to be given away to constituents of barangay chairmen running in the barangay elections.

Carodan said the tickets for sale were mostly patron tickets, lower box tickets and upper box A tickets. The prices ranged from P800 to around P2,000.