Story highlights Pat Hickey arrested by Rio Civil Police in relation to international ticket scalping scheme

Hickey is president of both the the European Olympic Committees and Olympic Council of Ireland

(CNN) The head of the European Olympic Committees, Pat Hickey, has been arrested in Rio de Janeiro in connection with an alleged international ticket scalping scam.

Hickey, who is also a member of the International Olympic Committee and president of the Olympic Council of Ireland, was arrested Wednesday by Civil Police at the hotel he was staying at with his wife.

Police say when they went to arrest the 71-year-old, his wife said he wasn't there. However they later found Hickey in another room.

Hickey's arrest is part of a police investigation into ticket scalping, with officials also arresting Kevin Mallon, director of the British ticket reselling company THG Sports, on August 5.

During that particular operation, police seized more than 1,000 tickets that were being sold at inflated prices.

Read More