The Metropolitan Police has warned the closure of its Olympic policing unit, Operation Podium, at the end of March could leave the ticketing industry open to criminal exploitation.

A report conducted by the Met, analysing findings from the operation, says the closure could ‘create an environment that allows greater exploitation by ticket fraudsters and touts’ and that Operation Podium’s work over the past two years could be lost.

Ticket Crime: Problem Profile, estimates that ticket fraud costs the economy around £40m a year. It says the lack of legislation around ticketing markets encourages ‘unscrupulous practices, a lack of transparency and fraud’. The report calls for new legislation to outlaw to the unauthorised resale of tickets.

The Metropolitan Police has warned the closure of its Olympic policing unit, Operation Podium, at the end of March could leave the ticketing industry open to criminal exploitation.

A report conducted by the Met, analysing findings from the operation, says the closure could ‘create an environment that allows greater exploitation by ticket fraudsters and touts’ and that Operation Podium’s work over the past two years could be lost.

Ticket Crime: Problem Profile, estimates that ticket fraud costs the economy around £40m a year. It says the lack of legislation around ticketing markets encourages ‘unscrupulous practices, a lack of transparency and fraud’. The report calls for new legislation to outlaw to the unauthorised resale of tickets.