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Australian Athletes Detained for Accreditation Tampering at Olympic Venue: Official

The Olympians, from various sports, altered their accreditation to gain entry into the men's basketball game between Australia and Serbia.
Opening Ceremony Rio 2016 Olympic Games
The Team Australia delegation during the Opening Ceremony of the Rio 2016 Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro.Paul Gilham / Getty Images

Nine Olympic athletes from Australia were detained in Rio and taken to a police station after tampering with their accreditation on Friday night, an Australian Olympic official confirmed to NBC News.

The Olympians, from various sports, altered their accreditation to gain entry into the men's basketball tournament between Australia and Serbia at Carioca Arena 1 in the Olympic Park, Mike Tancred, press attache for the Australian Olympic Committee, said in a phone call to NBC News.

Opening Ceremony Rio 2016 Olympic Games
The Team Australia delegation during the Opening Ceremony of the Rio 2016 Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro.Paul Gilham / Getty Images

The athletes were detained at the venue and taken to a police station where they remained several hours later, Tancred said.

He did not say in what way the athletes had attempted to alter their accreditation. The athletes have not been identified.

CEO of the Australian Committee Fiona de Jong, who is also a lawyer, said the athletes and the committee had apologized" for their "mistake before the magistrate and the prosecutor."

"We have agreed on an outcome, which is the payment of a fine and a good behaviour bond for each of the athletes involved," she added.