A MULTI-MILLION pound international black market operation has flooded Britain with 15,000 World Cup tickets, more than Scotland's total allocation for its three games, a TV documentary will claim tonight.
The tickets allegedly come through three men whose wider dealings included buying up nearly half of Cameroon's 7500 allocation.
Tonight's Channel 4 Dispatches will allege many more tickets come from sources ranging from French nationals to corporate sponsors.
At the centre of the international touting operation is a company called Great Portland Entertainments, of Regent Street, London.
Using secret cameras, the programme films Great Portland operations manager David Spanton setting up deals from a Paris hotel. Others involved include Roger Leigh, who runs a company called World Ticket Service, and Max Journo, a Paris-based businessman operating behind various company names.
A database removed by Westminster Trading Standards officials indicated that Great Portland Entertainments was dealing with at least 15,000 tickets worth up to #10m.
Two months ago, Mr Spanton and Mr Leigh paid over #400,000 into a Paris bank in the name of ''Fecafoot Onke''. Fecafoot is the name of the Cameroon football association. According to the programme, the account is controlled by association president Vincent Onana.
To buy its ticket allocation from World Cup governing body Fifa, Cameroon needed outside funding which, according to Mr Onana, it received from Mr Journo.
Mr Onana said: ''The federation has given Mr Max (Journo) about 3500, 3600 tickets . . .we've asked him to give priority to the Cameroonians who are in Europe, in France.''
Cameroon's opponents in Group B include Italy and Austria, where tickets may be profitably sold. The tickets could also be bartered between black marketeers for matches in other groups.
Mr Onana claimed Mr Journo had only been charged a 15% mark-up on the face value of the tickets, but evidence of payments from Leigh and Spanton indicated a far higher price was paid.
The programme shows that tickets for the Scotland and England games are selling at up to 30 times their face value.
Reporter Callum Macrae attempts to get a ticket for the Scotland-Brazil game and is told it will cost up to #450.
The availability of such tickets has led to fears that fan segregation will break down. Although unlikely to be a problem between Scotland and Brazil, this could have safety implications at other matches.
Meanwhile, the French government said it is to step up security surrounding the event after receiving ''real and troubling'' evidence that Islamic extremists have been planning a series of terrorist actions across the country during the World Cup.
It follows police swoops in five European countries on Tuesday, when 78 people were taken into custody for questioning.
French officials said yesterday there was ''hard intelligence'' that Algerian rebel support networks have been contemplating guerrilla attacks at 10 different sites across France throughout the month-long tournament beginning on June 10.
The Prince of Wales is to take his younger son, Prince Harry, 13, to watch England's World Cup match against Colombia in Lens, northern France, on June 26, St James's Palace said last night.
The Royal pair will travel on the Eurostar service from Waterloo on the day of the game.
The spokesman said: ''I can confirm the Prince of Wales and Prince Harry will be attending that match.''
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