Danica Davidson
January 3, 2025 
Last year, Otaku USA reported on a member of second biggest yakuza group getting busted for stealing Pokémon cards. But it turns out more members of the yakuza, also known as the Japanese mafia, are apparently getting more and more interested in using Pokémon cards for their crimes.
Someone who was previously an executive for a yakuza group anonymously informed the Japanese news outlet Shūkan Gendai, “Many criminals who commit bank transfer fraud are converting the money they steal into Pokémon cards.”
The former mobster continued to speak about the alleged crimes, saying, “Shady money can’t be deposited in a bank, and there’s a high risk of it being stolen if you hold it in cash. Pokémon cards are easy to hide, and if you take them overseas and cash them there, you can’t get tracked down.”
Pokémon cards sell for different amounts, and not all of them are worth much. But when they are worth a lot, they can be worth an incredible amount. The Guinness World Records reports that the most valuable Pokémon card went for $5,275,000 in 2021. It had been owned by a collector in Dubai, and it went to an American YouTuber. The fact the card has been held in both Dubai and America also shows the reach of Pokémon cards, and how it wouldn’t seem unusual for people to have them when going to different parts of the globe.
Of course, most Pokémon fans are just that, fans. They enjoy the cards and the franchise, and they’re not going to steal. But whether it’s through the mob, or just other people trying to get extra cash, Pokémon-related crimes have increased as the cards’ popularity has increased. Reports range from a thief in Japan taking more than $250,000 worth of Pokémon cards to a suspect in Ohio trying to snatch them at Meijer and getting tasered by police.
Source: People
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Danica Davidson is the author of the bestselling Manga Art for Beginners with artist Melanie Westin, plus its sequel, Manga Art for Everyone, and the first-of-its-kind manga chalk book Chalk Art Manga, both illustrated by professional Japanese mangaka Rena Saiya. Check out her other comics and books at www.danicadavidson.com.
