Police are investigating the theft of a large number of bus tickets from the Public Transportation Board (PTB) which are suspected to have been sold illegally by three members of staff.

But PTB?s Director Dan Simmons said yesterday that the issue was under control.

?Yes, it is a disappointment,? Mr. Simmons said. ?At the lead up to the end of the financial year, March 31, we were doing checks to make sure everything was in order and also changed some of our procedures.?

He said as a result of these checks, PTB noticed a discrepancy in the number of bus tickets they were supposed to have.

?We found it appropriate to bring in auditors and Police,? he said.

The three ?auxiliary personnel? who may have been involved in the theft were not working at PTB yesterday, he confirmed. ?Two were supervisors and one was a cashier.?

However, Mr. Simmons would not say whether or not the three staff were getting paid while they were on suspension.

He said the bus tickets could be used to ?generate revenue? if sold illegally.

A three-zone bus ticket is sold at market value for around $3, he said, but a 14-zone ticket is worth $4.50.

?The Bermuda Police can confirm an investigation is ongoing into the theft of property from the Public Transportation Board,? Police spokesman Dwayne Caines said yesterday. ?The investigation is ongoing, we hope to have individuals before the courts in the near future.?