Nearly 1,000 tickets from a supply belonging to the Olympic Council of Ireland (OCI) were seized by Brazilian police last week after they arrested Kevin Mallon, the Dublin-based finance director of THG Sports.

The OCI's official authorised ticket reseller (ATR) for Rio 2016 is Pro10 Sports Management.

They replaced THG Sports, who had fulfilled the role for London 2012 and Sochi 2014. 

THG Sports is one of a group of companies owned by Marcus Evans.

Rio's Civil Police Fraud Unit announced at a press conference here today that Evans is one of four THG Sports executives they have issued arrest warrants for. 

Warrants have also been issued for Irishman David Gilmore, Briton Martin Studd and Dutchman Maarten Van Os.

Police confirmed that none of the four people named today have "entered Brazil legally" in recent weeks but would be immediately arrested should they attempt to do so. 

At the moment, though, they remain beyond the reach of the Brazilian authorities. 

Police say the four men have been namedon arrest warrants as "all directors had knowledge of, and contributed to a scheme that involved the illegal selling of tickets at prices well above face value, under the camouflage of hospitality packages".

Pro10 Sports claimed last week they had given Mallon the tickets to distribute it to its clients attending Rio 2016.

It claimed they had been purchased directly from Pro10 Sports and that Mallon was not selling them for above market level. 

"We are extremely concerned by these charges," THG Sports said in a statement following news of today's latest development.

"We have made absolutely clear that the allegations made against our colleague, Kevin Mallon, and ourselves are entirely without foundation. 

"Pro 10, the Irish authorised ticket reseller, have also made it absolutely clear that the tickets held by Kevin were on behalf of the Irish ATR and were held for collection by Pro 10 clients in Rio. 

"Having tickets on the ground for collection is standard practice for an ATR during Games time.

"As has been reiterated on several occasions, including to Rocog, the Irish Olympic Committee, Irish government officials and to the Irish public and media, at no time did Kevin Mallon sell or seek to sell tickets for the Rio Olympic Games. 

"The tickets that he held were authorised tickets held on behalf of clients of the authorised ticket reseller and he was acting as the collection point for the Authorised ticket resellers’ customers. 

"It is our understanding that all of these tickets are sold by the ATR at face value plus the mark ups allowed under the agreements with ROCOG (The Organising Committee of the Olympic and Paralympic Games Rio 2016)."

THG Sports, founded in 1983, have 69 offices worldwide and organise ticket sales for more than 350 sporting events each year.

Evans also owns English football club Ipswich Town. 

THG Sports chief executive James Sinton was arrested for "unlawful action" in Brazil during the 2014 FIFA World Cup but was later released. 

"Our Brazilian lawyers have advised us that there is no evidence to support these allegations, as indeed there is not, and we shall be vigorously defending all charges that have been brought," the THG Sports statement said. 

"It appears that ROCOG and the local authorities have an agenda to impede the legitimate activities of THG in order to support the activities of their locally approved hospitality provider."

Pro 10 also issued a new statement following today's developments. 

"In the light of extensive and misleading media coverage in Ireland and in Brazil on the RIO 16 ticketing story, the directors of Pro 10 Sports Management wish to make clear that they have always acted properly and fully in line with the ATR guidelines.," they said.

"At the same time they have continued to cooperate fully and promptly with inquiries by the Brazilian authorities."

The company claimed the scandal is causing them serious harm.

"We have suffered significant commercial loss as a result of the tickets being seized by ROCOG and caused Irish and European customers to be unable to buy tickets during games time through the authorised process," the statement said.

"Pro 10 is now discussing this matter with our lawyers and we wish to make no further comment on this matter which could prejudice our case."