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As tickets to the much-anticipated finals series in the University Athletic Association of the Philippines Season 71 mens basketball competition began to sell like hotcakes, scalpers at the Big Dome are also expected to proliferate, a National Bureau of Investigation official said on Tuesday.

Head agent Arnel Dalumpines, NBI-Special Task Force investigator, disclosed that the bureau will field more agents during Sundays Game One showdown between age-old rivals Ateneo and De La Salle to stop scalpers from selling overpriced tickets to fans.

Balita ko sold-out na agad ang tickets sa finals, kaya expected na yang maraming scalpers ang magsisiputan, Dalumpines said.

The best-of three series starts at 4 p.m. on Sunday at the Big Dome.

The NBI-STF chief added that more people are more likely to turn to scalpers for tickets, even if the original selling price is doubled or even tripled.

A security guard of the Araneta Coliseum and five others were arrested last Sunday for scalping during the Final Four bout. Twenty-five tickets were confiscated from the scalpers.

Arrested were Jabin Brian Valsorable, security guard of the Big Dome, and a resident of barangay Bulihan, Famy, Laguna; Samuel Velasco, a resident of 305 Balayong, Malolos, Bulacan; Jerry Ysmael of Block 70-71, Ampalaya Street, Conception, Marikina City; and Rene Sioco of 2473 Carmacelli Street, Singalong, Manila.

Also apprehended were Delfin Cabiling of sitio Kasoy II, Mambugan, Antipolo City; and Lorenzo Noora of S-12 Kapwa Street, Calumpang, Marikina City.

Uniprom Inc., marketing arm of the Araneta Group of Companies, represented by event auxiliary officer Rodolfo Dordas filed the complaint against the scalpers.

The six were charged with violation of Quezon City Ordinance 493, S97, otherwise known as the antiscalping law. Bail is recommended at P2,000 each.

Investigation showed that on September 13, a surveillance operation conducted confirmed the presence of persons engaged in scalping of tickets within the Araneta Coliseum.

NBI agents acted as poser-buyers wherein they pretended to buy patron tickets for the La Salle vs. FEU and Ateneo vs. UE games. A certain Bong offered the patron tickets originally priced at P250 for P4,000.

The agent pretended to agree on the said amount and the exchange was set at the LRT Katipunan Station. Recovered were two patron tickets.

After his arrest, a follow-up operation was conducted leading to Bongs source. A certain Taba was again arrested for selling another agent Upper Box tickets originally priced at P150 for P700. Recovered from him were 11 tickets.

The other scalpers, however, were arrested within the vicinity of Araneta Coliseum.

Upper Box A tickets priced at P150 were sold for P1,000 while Upper Box B tickets priced at P95 for P500. General Admission tickets priced at P55 were sold for P300.

In a recent letter from Uniprom, operations chief Manuel Atacador said it requested NBI Director Nestor Mantaring to assign a team for Araneta Coliseum.

Atacador said scalpers are apparent in the area and are not intimidated by their security personnel.

He added that security personnel in the area have already apprehended some of the scalpers but they still continue with their illegal activities.