Europe's top Olympic official arrested in Rio over tickets sales

Police in Brazil have arrested the head of the European Olympic Committees, Irishman Patrick Hickey, in Rio over illegal Olympic ticket sales.

Mr Hickey, 71, is suspected of being involved in a scheme to sell tickets for higher than their face value.


He was taken to hospital after his arrest as a precaution, where he will probably spend the night, police said.
When officers went to his hotel room on Wednesday morning they found his wife there with his Olympic credentials.
Mrs Hickey said her husband had left for Ireland at the weekend, police told a news conference.
With the help of the hotel they began a search and found Mr Hickey in the room next door, they said.
While police said they had reason to believe he was trying to escape,

Police said the arrest was related to that of fellow Irishman Kevin James Mallon on the day of the Olympic opening ceremony.
They estimate the potential profits of the alleged scheme at 10m reals (£2.4m; $3.1m).
The International Olympic Committee (IOC) said it would co-operate with any police investigation.

 Mr Hickey was arrested at this hotel in Rio