Tokyo police arrested a yakuza lieutenant for participating in a break-in at an office in December 2022 that resulted in stolen Pokemon cards.
Key points:
- Keita Saito, a 39-year-old member of the Takinogawa group within the Sumiyoshi-kai, Japan’s second-largest yakuza syndicate. yakuza lieutenant, admitted to stealing items that include 25 Pokemon cards.
- The break-in occurred in Tokyo‘s Saitama Prefecture on Dec. 29, 2022, with the total value of stolen goods amounting to 252,000 yen ($1,617).
- Pokemon cards can become very pricey, especially those that are rare.
The details:
- Saito is a member of the Takinogawa group within the Sumiyoshi-kai, Japan’s second-largest yakuza syndicate.
- Tokyo Metropolitan Police also arrested Saito’s alleged accomplice, 56-year-old Hidefumi Kuboshita, who is accused of planning the robbery.
- Kuboshita, whose employment and yakuza ties remain unclear, has denied involvement.
- The authorities are still searching for the other two suspects, who were reportedly recruited online.
- Due to Pokemon’s popularity and the high resale value of certain cards, it has become a profitable target for thieves. Social media users raised questions about the yakuza’s unconventional choice of loot, while others expressed concern about the organization possibly entering the stolen Pokemon card market..
- Over time, Pokemon trading cards can become very expensive, especially those that are rare. The most valuable to date is the Pikachu Illustrator card, which was released in 1998 and was joked at auction for $5.275 million in July 2021.
- Tokyo police arrested a yakuza lieutenant for participating in a break-in at an office in December 2022 that resulted in stolen Pokemon cards.
Key points: sold at auction for $5.275 million in July 2021.
