Two men arrested for stealing over $200k in Pokemon cards from van in Tokyo

by

A unique Pokemon card theft in Tokyo has been solved, and it was revealed that the delivery person was the one involved on the inside.

Trading cards have become a surprisingly popular investment, and a quick way to make money for some. Especially in Japan, rare Pokémon cards are selling for incredibly high prices – even more than fine art. Unfortunately, this influx of money has attracted the attention of organized crime. Police in Tokyo have been monitoring this trend for months, and in December, they finally had a clear example of the problem.

How a delivery job became a $213k Pokemon card operation

Police in Chiyoda Ward have arrested two men, ages 26 and 27, for allegedly stealing about 300 Pokémon cards. The cards are estimated to be worth 34 million yen—around $213,000—and were taken from a delivery van, according to Automaton.

One of the suspects used to work for the company that moved the shipment. Investigators think both men used their knowledge of the delivery route to figure out when the driver would leave the van unattended.

The two men quickly unlocked the van, grabbed the bags, and drove away. They have since confessed to the crime, and police suspect they made about $34,000 – approximately 5 million yen – by selling some of the stolen goods.

This wasn’t a simple burglary; it was carefully planned. Officials are increasingly worried that valuable Pokémon cards are being used to hide illegally obtained money, and this theft – with its focus on employee schedules and delivery times – seems to support those concerns.

Throughout Japan, card shops are trying to stop scalpers by using cameras, limiting how many cards each customer can buy, and checking IDs at checkout. Unfortunately, these efforts haven’t reduced the problem.

As a Pokémon card collector, it’s honestly wild what’s been happening lately! I keep hearing about increasingly bizarre scams. Just earlier this year, three guys in Tokyo actually paid over $320,000 for cards with bags full of paper! And last summer, a store manager in Japan was even accused of robbing the card shop right next door. It’s crazy!

Read More

2026-05-27 16:48