Pokemon playing cards are as scorching as they’ve ever been, and sadly for a neighborhood card store in California, it means their merchandise was the goal of a current heist. On December 2, thieves focused LA Sports activities Cards in Burbank and made off with $100,000 or extra in Pokemon playing cards and different collectibles. The trio of thieves have been captured on digicam in KTLA 5’s video report beneath.
Retailer proprietor Kiet Nguyen famous that the thieves appeared to know simply the place to go to get essentially the most invaluable Pokemon playing cards within the retailer. “Liquid belongings” of unopened Pokemon bins have been additionally taken, and can be simple to promote due to how frequent they’re. Moreover, the thieves stole uncommon sports activities playing cards that featured Mickey Mantle and Ronaldo amongst others.
The thieves have been out and in of the shop in round three minutes, and the report notes that this trio might have hit different card retailers in Southern California. One of many thieves uncovered a part of his face throughout an earlier heist, and that would assist police ultimately observe him and his companions down.
KTLA notes that Nguyen indicated that the shop does have insurance coverage, and it is going to be upgrading its safety. It isn’t the primary time that Pokemon playing cards have been linked to crime. In late 2024, stories emerged that the Japanese mob was utilizing Pokemon playing cards to launder cash.
Regulation-abiding Pokemon followers are maintaining a tally of the subsequent Change 2 recreation, Pokemon Pokopia, which can be launched on March 5, 2026. Veteran gamers have already got theories about how that recreation might tie in with older Pokemon titles.