Pokemon Card Thieves Arrested After Stalling ‘Small Talk’

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Key Takeaways

  • In September, around $150,000 worth of Pokemon and Magic the Gathering cards were stolen from a game store in Newmarket, Ontario, Canada.
  • The thieves recently visited another game store, attempting to sell a portion of the stolen merchandise.
  • Staff at the store managed to stall the perpetrators by engaging in small talk for around 40 minutes until the police arrived.

As a seasoned collector who has been chasing holographic Charizards since the 90s, I can’t help but feel a mix of relief and amusement at the recent apprehension of the Pokemon card thieves. The world of trading cards, while filled with joy and camaraderie, also has its share of unsavory characters looking to cash in on the value these cards hold.

A gang of individuals who specialize in stealing Pokemon cards were recently caught by the authorities, thanks to the staff at a gaming store engaging them in casual chat as a diversion. The Pokemon Trading Card Game continues to be a global phenomenon, with some incredibly rare cards fetching prices in excess of thousands of dollars. Regrettably, this popularity has made Pokemon cards a target for criminal activity, with people trying to sell these stolen cards at higher-than-normal prices to unsuspecting buyers.

Several significant instances of Pokemon cards being stolen have resulted in substantial financial losses for small-town gaming outlets such as Newmarket, Ontario’s Enter the Battlefield trading card store. On September 18, this establishment was the victim of a major theft, with approximately 300 Pokemon and Magic the Gathering cards being stolen, valued at around $150,000 as stated by the store’s owner, Kris Fekete.

Approximately a month later, it was discovered that the exact same cards, which had been stolen earlier, appeared at the OMG Games store in Barrie, Ontario, Canada. This discovery eventually led to the capture of the individuals who initially took the cards. According to CTV News, on October 1, two men visited the store, offering to swap expensive Pokemon cards for a substantial sum. Recognizing these cards as the ones that had been reported stolen from Enter the Battlefield, the store owner, Rick Bates, alerted Kris Fekete and the York Regional Police.

Game Stop Staff Kept Pokemon Card Thieves Busy Until Police Arrived

Bates was asked to delay the potential scalpers until law enforcement arrived, and a staff member accomplished this by chatting amiably while discussing issues related to fake Pokemon cards with Bates. The suspects were kept occupied for approximately 30 to 40 minutes, giving sufficient time for the Barrie police to arrive and make arrests. Approximately a quarter of the stolen items were found, worth around $30,000 to $40,000. The two men from Georgina, who took the Pokemon and Magic the Gathering cards, have been accused of possessing property acquired through crime exceeding $5,000.

It’s refreshing news that in at least one incident involving stolen high-value Pokemon cards, the perpetrators have been apprehended and some of the stolen goods recovered. However, since a few weeks have passed between the theft and the arrest, it’s unfortunate to consider that the remaining stolen cards may have already been resold. Fortunately, the owners of Enter the Battlefield were able to recover some of their stolen merchandise, thanks to the prompt actions and delaying tactics of staff from another game store located quite a distance away.

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2024-10-16 17:53