'Pokémon Cards' Worth Tens of Millions Become Targets for Robbery

Robberies Surge in the US and Canada

Some Rare Cards Sell for Tens of Millions of Dollars

In Vancouver, Canada, a series of robberies targeting "Pokémon cards" has prompted police to launch a sting operation. Pokémon cards, featuring characters from the popular game "Pokémon," have recently soared in collectible value, making them a new target for crime.

According to the local Canadian media outlet "Vancouver Sun" on April 1 (local time), the Vancouver police recently apprehended a man who had been committing robberies against Pokémon card collectors in the city.

Some Pokémon cards are sold at auction for tens of millions of won. The photo shows Pokémon cards collected by popular influencer Logan Paul. YouTube capture

Police have received reports of five similar incidents since March 23. The man allegedly lured Pokémon card traders through Facebook Marketplace, then, when sellers arrived at the meeting location, he would spray them with bear repellent and flee with the cards.

As the amount of damages increased, police disguised themselves as sellers and contacted the suspect, arresting him as soon as he appeared at the exchange site. Authorities are continuing their investigation, leaving open the possibility that there may be additional victims.

The Vancouver police have urged, "When trading with strangers, please use a designated safe exchange location." It has been reported that all victims whose Pokémon cards were stolen by this man were targeted in public places.

Recently, thefts targeting Pokémon cards have been rampant in the United States, Canada, and elsewhere. A card shop in Burnaby, Canada, has suffered theft three times. On January 12, thieves broke a window and stole Pokémon products worth about $10,000 before fleeing.

Pokémon cards have been released as collectible items since the 1990s. Each card features a Pokémon character, and after the COVID-19 pandemic, the collectible value of some rare cards skyrocketed. Since then, crimes targeting high-value Pokémon cards have begun to increase.

Currently, rare Pokémon cards are worth astronomical sums. For example, the "Pikachu Illustrator Card" was purchased by influencer Logan Paul for $5.27 million (approximately 800 million won) in 2021. Logan Paul encased the card in a gold necklace and wore it himself, and in February, he resold it for $16.5 million (about 2.5 billion won), making a huge profit.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.