As the World Cup opening match kicks off in less than a week, three men have been taken into custody for illegally reselling bulk tickets at a marked up price.

Three people have been arrested for illegally reselling World Cup tickets at a marked up price, Qatar’s Ministry of Interior said.

The accused have been “referred to concerned authorities” for further action, authorities confirmed.

The ministry published a blurred picture of the men in front of what appears to be dozens of tickets, more than QAR 70,000, as well as 6 laptops and smartphones.

The suspects were from different nationalities, the ministry added, without clarifying any further.

Authorities did not confirm the quantity of tickets in question, or the price they were said to have been sold for.

In July, authorities outlined measures for the duration of the World Cup that includes penalties of up to QAR 250,000 for anyone who is found to have sold or exchanged tickets without permission of FIFA.

Authorities have warned that tickets which have been impermissibly transferred are not valid and may be cancelled at any time without notice.

Qatari authorities have urged fans to follow regulations in place during the World Cup to avoid falling foul of the law.

A ticket applicant is only permitted to assign tickets to guests either free of charge or for an amount no greater than the face value of the ticket, FIFA said on its website.

The ticket terms of use do not allow guests to transfer tickets under any circumstances.

If a guest can no longer use a ticket, then it must be returned to the ticket applicant or resold via official FIFA resale website.

Tickets for the global event have been sold in phases with an online queuing system in place.

Fans are limited to buying a maximum of six tickets per match ― and a maximum of 60 for the tournament ― to deter ticket touts from buying up large amounts of to sell on at inflated fees.

A “last-minute sales” phase is in operation throughout the competition, FIFA states on its website.

About 2.9 million tickets for the event — which will stage 64 games in 28 days — had been sold as of last month.

The showpiece opening game will be held in the 60,000-capacity Al Bayt Stadium.

The match will kick off at 7pm and will be preceded by the traditional World Cup opening ceremony.