Police in Rio de Janeiro have arrested the chief executive of a Swiss hospitality and ticketing company in connection with an ongoing investigation over VIP ticket scalping at the World Cup.
Ray Whelan, of Switzerland-based Match Services, was arrested at the city's beachfront Copacabana Palace hotel as a result of a probe into the illegal resale of tickets for the ongoing tournament.
Police say Whelan's name came up repeatedly in telephone conversations and other documentation that last week led to the arrest of 11 people.
According to Match Services' web site, the agency "is the professional services company appointed by FIFA to provide ticketing, accommodation and event information technology" to FIFA, football's governing body.
The company said it canceled all packages purchased by Atlanta Sportif after their CEO Lamine Fofana was among the 11 arrested last week.
The suspects face charges of money-laundering, illegal ticket touting and conspiracy.