Key Facts
• Early January 4: Police find a ransacked trading card shop in California.
• 5 suspects wearing hoodies broke a showcase with a crowbar.
• Theft lasted only 4 minutes, stealing Pokémon cards worth about ¥78 million (approx. $780,000).
• Cards on shelves were thrown to the floor and collected in bags.
• Same day, around 9:40 PM, a separate robbery targeted a customer leaving another card shop in Los Angeles.
• Two suspects stole rare Pokémon cards valued at about ¥470 million (approx. $4.7 million).
• California state police are investigating possible links between the incidents.
Summary
In California, USA, a surge in thefts and robberies targeting popular Pokémon trading cards has alarmed authorities. On January 4, a group of five hooded individuals swiftly broke into a card shop, destroying a showcase and stealing high-value Pokémon cards within four minutes, causing losses estimated at $780,000. Later that evening in Los Angeles, two suspects robbed a customer who had just purchased rare Pokémon cards worth approximately $4.7 million. The state police are actively investigating these incidents for possible connections. These events highlight the growing criminal focus on valuable trading cards in the region.
