Police try to return rare Pokemon cards after raid uncovers stolen $330K collection

Police in the UK have arrested a man after uncovering a stash of stolen Pokemon cards valued at over $300,000.

Pokemon cards have become extremely lucrative over the years with some of the rarer cards and original boxes selling for huge amounts at auction.

As such, there’s been a tsunami of Pokemon-related crimes in recent years with fights breaking out in stores over limited-time releases, collectors being robbed at gunpoint, and even high-speed chases involving stolen cards.

On May 14, the Greater Manchester Police raided a home in Hyde and uncovered a treasure trove of stolen cards with the collection being worth hundreds of thousands.

Police raid uncovers over $300,000 in stolen Pokemon cards

According to the BBC, one man was arrested after his house was raided by the authorities.

Once inside, they found a massive collection of Pokemon cards, wrapped in plastic, valued at $330,000.

The cards had price tags on them as high as £560, around $740 USD.

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Attempts are now being made to return the cards to their rightful owners. Meanwhile, the authorities joked on Facebook about the situation, captioning a post about the raid with the tagline, “Gotta catch ‘Em All.”

Photos of the seized cards show numerous packs and an entire case filled to the brim with cards in plastic casings.

It’s not clear if these had been stolen from a shop, a single individual, or multiple people over time. No more information has been made available about the man who had been arrested.

As valuable as this haul was, it still doesn’t hold a candle to the ultimate Pokemon card heist. Back in 2022, a 62-year-old’s $500,000 Pokemon card collection was taken from his 6,800-square-foot waterfront home.