TOKYO (TR) – Tokyo Metropolitan Police have referred a man and a woman to prosecutors for allegedly scalping tickets to the World Baseball Classic (WBC) at exorbitantly inflated prices, reports Nippon News Network (Apr. 17).
The suspects, identified as a male corporate employee and a self-employed woman, are accused of illegally reselling a total of 12 WBC tickets between last year and this year.
According to police, the pair capitalized on the immense popularity of the tournament, hawking the tickets on a resale website for six to nine times their original face value. In the most extreme instance, a single pair of tickets was offered for a staggering 500,000 yen.
During voluntary questioning by investigators, both suspects admitted to the allegations.
“I felt that games featuring Shohei Ohtani had a premium feel to them,” the female suspect was quoted as telling police. “I knew that if I resold the tickets, they would fetch a high price”.
The case highlights ongoing efforts by Japanese authorities to crack down on scalpers exploiting high-profile sporting events under the nation’s strict anti-scalping laws, which prohibit the unauthorized resale of event tickets for profit.
