Rare Pokémon Cards Worth $100K Stolen In Brazen Heist Caught On Camera
A brazen and high-speed robbery hit a collectible store in Southern California, whereby a trio of masked thieves made off with over $100,000 worth of rare Pokémon trading cards and sports memorabilia in a heist that lasted just three minutes.
The target was LA Sports Cards in Burbank, which was raided by a band of synchronized card bandits. Surveillance footage captured the individuals arriving, using a crowbar to force open the door, and then executing a calculated and rapid sweep of the premises before escaping to a waiting vehicle with armfuls of merchandise.
Based on how it went down, it appears the perpetrators had either previously canvased the store and/or had experience with similar crimes. Store owner Kiet Nguyen suggested that the robbers were not acting on impulse, saying instead, "It seemed like they had it down pat." He observed that the thieves looked like they knew exactly where the store’s most valuable goods were housed.
While the thieves did steal a handful of rare sports cards, including a signed Ronaldo item and a Mickey Mantle collectible, the core focus of the raid was arguably more lucrative Pokémon cards, especially high-value, sealed Pokémon products, a.k.a. the liquid assets of the collectibles market. Unopened boxes and sets are coveted by collectors and resellers alike, making them easily fungible and quick to move on the secondary market. As Nguyen pointed out, sealed Pokémon products are so commonly traded that selling them "wouldn't raise any suspicion," allowing the criminals to convert their haul into cash with minimal risk.
Police also believe the same crew of three masked figures may be responsible for as many as half a dozen similar store raids across Southern California in recent weeks. Authorities are pursuing leads, bolstered by the fact that security footage from an earlier heist reportedly caught one of the trio with part of his face exposed. For Kiet Nguyen, his store does carry insurance, but he confirmed that they would be immediately upgrading security to deter further attempts.
No doubt, the continued surge in popularity and market value of Pokémon cards has transformed them into highly sought-after commodities for criminal enterprises. The cards are seen as high-value goods that draw sophisticated theft, with previous reports from overseas even linking them to organized crime syndicates for use in money laundering schemes.
