Never doubt the power of Pokemon. For decades, we’ve seen the franchise build itself into a full-blown juggernaut, and it is now the highest-grossing IP in the entertainment world. From TV series to video games and collectibles, Pokemon has it all. That includes true crime mishaps, and a new report from Japan just revealed a Yakuza leader was arrested for stealing Pokemon cards.
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The report comes from police in the Tachikawa Precinct of Tokyo. Not long ago, authorities announced the arrest of Keita Saito, a lieutenant office within the Takinogawa Family. The family is part of Japan’s second-biggest yakuza syndicate known as the Sumiyoshi-kai, and police arrested Saito over a break-in from 2022.
According to the police, Saito allegedly broke into a home in late December 2022. A total of 29 items were stolen during the robbery including 25 valuable Pokemon cards. Authorities also arrested Hidefumi Kuboshita in connection with the break-in. The man has no public connection with organized crime, and police say they are looking for two other men in association with the crime.
Sadly, this Pokemon card theft is hardly rare. Since 2020, incidents like this one have been on the rise both in Japan and globally. I mean, there are some criminals who’ve even tunneled into stores to steal collectibles. The recent rise of Pokemon in pop culture has put trading cards at a premium. With some cards selling secondhand for more than $200 USD, plenty of criminals see Pokemon cards as an easy way to make bank. But as you can see in this case, even seasoned criminals struggle to pull off heists.
What do you make of this wild police report? Have you ever had any of your TCG cards stolen? Let us know what you think over on Twitter and Instagram. You can also hit me up @MeganPetersCB to share your take!
