Brazilian police arrested a member of the IOC’s executive board, Ireland’s Patrick Hickey, in his hotel in Rio de Janeiro yesterday in connection with an investigation into ticket touting at the Olympics.

Police said in a statement they had discovered evidence linking Hickey to an international scheme to illegally pass Olympic tickets to touts who were re-selling them at well above their original price.

Local media reported that Hickey, who also heads the European Olympic Committee (EOC), was detained at the hotel Windsor Marapendi near the Olympic Park and was rushed to hospital after his arrest.

An IOC spokesman declined to comment on the arrest but confirmed that Hickey had been taken to hospital.

Jamil Chade, a reporter of the Estado do Sao Paolo newspaper who was at the hotel at the time of the arrest, told Reuters that police searched the hotel restaurant and gym before finding Hickey in his son’s room.

He said police called an ambulance to the hotel.

“It took some time for the ambulance to arrive and it went to the back door of the hotel,” said Chade.

The Olympic Council of Ireland said in a statement it was aware of media reports of Hickey’s arrest and was seeking clarity on the situation before commenting.