Thief Targets Rare Pokemon Cards in Japan Shop Heist
A burglar broke into a Japanese trading card shop in Ibaraki Prefecture early July 3rd, stealing rare Pokemon cards worth an estimated 2 million yen by targeting only the high-value display cases.
A burglar broke into a trading card game shop in Moriya, Ibaraki Prefecture, Japan on July 3rd, targeting rare and valuable Pokemon cards. The break-in occurred around 3 a.m. local time. Security camera footage reveals that after the shop closed, a man smashed the front door glass to enter, then proceeded directly to the display cases featuring expensive Pokemon cards. He shattered the glass cases and quickly stuffed all the cards into a prepared bag before fleeing the shop.
What stands out about this theft is the suspect's selective targeting. Despite the shop displaying many other types of cards and merchandise, the thief focused exclusively on the Pokemon card display cases and left all other merchandise untouched, suggesting careful planning and a specific objective.
The shop owner revealed that nearly all stolen cards were rare, high-value items. Some boxes carried market prices near 500,000 yen (approximately 100,000 baht), while individual cards were valued around 300,000 yen (approximately 60,000 baht). The shop initially estimates total losses at approximately 2 million yen (approximately 440,000 baht).
Police are currently reviewing CCTV footage from both inside the shop and the surrounding area to identify and pursue criminal charges against the suspect.
