Thieves wonder which Pokémon cards to steal in a major robbery

All over the world, thieves continue to rob stores in search of valuable Pokémon MapsIn the latest example of this trend, some robbers in Japan apparently didn’t know much about Pokémon and had to ask the store clerk which cards were valuable and worth stealing.

As first reported by NHK And spotted by IGNOn September 9, thieves broke into a card shop in Osaka, Japan. The break-in is believed to have occurred at 3:30 a.m., as store employees were closing for the night. The thieves had what appeared to be a knife. After tying up the employees, the two robbers walked away with more than $70,000 worth of valuables Pokémon cards. Apparently the thieves hadn’t done their research and needed help choosing the right cards to steal.

As further reported by The MainichiThe robbery took place shortly after an employee’s livestream in which they showed cards to viewers. According to police, the duo asked the employees what they wanted to do before tying them up with rope and covering their mouths with tape. Pokémon cards were worth stealing. The thieves then made off with over 100 trading cards worth about $10 million yen or about $70,000 USD. It seems the employees did a good job of recommending which cards to grab.

According to police, the thieves also stole the phones and wallets of the two staff members. No injuries were reported. Local police in Osaka have not yet located and arrested the alleged thieves, who were reportedly wearing dark shirts and sunglasses during the robbery.

This is not the first time we see criminals aimed at hobby shops and Pokémon cards. In recent years, as Pokémon cards have become increasingly popular and valuable, we have seen numerous examples of large-scale card thefts. In 2022, a collector claimed over $500,000 worth of Pokémon cards were stolen from his house. And in 2023, a police officer was fired after allegedly trying steal and sell Pokémon cards. So uh, be careful who you tell about your awesome collection Pokémon cards.

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