A man arrested for ticket touting at an Arsenal game has had nearly �12,000 of his own cash confiscated.

Hitesh Mistry, 48, was convicted of fraud at Blackfriars Crown Court on September 21.

He was fined �1,500 and the court made an order to confiscate �11,916 of his cash.

Mistry, of Abbeville Road, Clapham, was arrested on March 5 near the Emirates Stadium when Arsenal were playing Sunderland.

Between October 2010 and March 2011, he claimed Arsenal FC tickets sold by him through two internet websites were valid for entry to the ground.

Police say the tickets were not transferable, and invalid for anyone other than the person to whom the ticket was issued. Detectives investigating Mistry are part of Operation Podium which is a dedicated group of Met Police officers looking to stamp out serious and organised crime such as illegal ticket trading before the 2012 London Olympics.

DCI Nick Downing, leading Operation Podium, said: “Ticket touting is an illegal business run by people seeking to gain financially through the exploitation of clubs and their fans.

“Genuine fans need to be aware they are not only fuelling criminal activity when they buy from a tout, but also putting themselves at risk of paying over the odds for non-existent or fraudulent tickets. This is also a risk of having personal and credit card data stolen.

“With tickets for the Paralympic Games now on sale, don’t get caught out. Follow our simple and easy advice to make sure the ticket you buy is real.

“In the UK the only official place to apply for tickets is through the London 2012 application process.”