We know some people keep their childhood obsessions but these men might have taken it a little too far. 😳 Three men have been jailed for 30 months after looting almost €50,000 worth of Pokémon cards from a Dutch man in Kampen.
The Public Prosecution Service in Zwolle originally demanded a four-year prison sentence (yes, this is the same amount of time the rapist in Leiden was initially sentenced to.)
Fradulent card collectors
The men (29, 30, and 31 years old) planned the robbery. One man originally scoped the location and two of them posed as collectors who were interested in trading cards (read: steal) with their victim, reports the NOS.
Once they had taken the cards, they asked for a drink from the pantry. And as the victim bent down to grab a bottle, he was pushed inside and the pantry was locked from the outside.
They took 28 loose cards and 36 sealed packs with 11 cards, with an estimated worth of €48,000. Who would have thought Pokémon cards had that much value?!
Luckily, the victim was easily freed as he had his phone on him and could call the police from inside the pantry.
Legacy as collectibles
Perhaps they were too caught up in the thrill of possessing expensive Pokémon cards, but the robbers were easily found — they left fingerprints all over the pantry. 😶 The police were also able to find 10 of the missing cards in France.
Pokémon cards have become very popular among collectors and their value has significantly increased over the years. The original Pokémon cards were printed in the 1990s, making them rare and extremely valuable.
Many toy and game stores that sell Pokémon cards increased their security for fear of theft. The cards’ popularity also leads to more collectors’ scams.
Some cards sell for tens of thousands to hundreds of thousands of euros. Meaning you might want to check your old Pokémon card collection — you never know what treasure you might have stashed. 😉
Have you ever collected old or new Pokémon cards? Tell us in the comments!
Feature Image: ctrphotos/Depositphotos