For a while now, Pokemon cards have been considered a hot investment, with some of the rarest cards skyrocketing in value in recent years. However, when large sums of money start getting involved the criminal element also tends to come out of the woodwork.
Card shops are having to incorporate security systems on par with jewelry and antique shops to keep ahead of increasingly aggressive burglars with eyes on a mint-condition Charizard. Just this week one caper that spanned most of the country was thwarted by the Tokyo police, who arrested 35-year-old Masaki Omori of Okinawa for stealing some 1,500 cards.
It all began when Omori applied for a yami baito or “dark part-time job” which is a one-time, high-pay, and high-risk criminal endeavor at the request of someone, often made over social media.
▼ A news report on the arrest
Omori’s job was to travel to Akihabara in Tokyo and steal Pokemon cards. A specific shop was designated by the person or people who hired him, and although it also sold other goods like mobile phones, Omori was instructed to only get cards. If successful he would be paid over one million yen.
The suspect flew to Ibaraki on April 11 using his own money and rented a car from there to travel to Akihabara. At about 5 a.m. on April 12, Omori smashed through a window of the unoccupied store and proceeded to take about 1,500 cards worth approximately 1.15 million yen.
Omori then took the cards to a rendezvous in an Ibaraki park and handed them over to his contact. He was then informed to pick up his payment at a separate rendezvous on a later date, but when Omori went there, no one else showed up.
After his arrest, he told police that he needed money to cover living expenses after incurring heavy losses from gambling. The authorities are currently using his smartphone to track down the person or persons who hired him and currently have the stolen merchandise.
Online comments about the crime have included:
“There’s too much Pokémon-card-related crime these days.”
“It’s amazing that people would do all this just for some cards.”
“You have to admire the longevity of Pokémon.”
“They’re light, hard to trace, and easy to sell. They’re way easier to steal than jewelry or cars.”
“It’s a lot easier that robbing a bank.”
“These people probably want to resell the cards themselves, so aside from the obvious criminal problems, the Pokémon card resale market really needs to be re-examined.”
It’s hard to know how long the Pokemon card resale market can sustain its current level in order to make any significant changes that reduce crime. The issue of yami baito, however, might be a more prolonged concern as criminals seem now able to very easily recruit what in many cases appear to be patsies to help them distance themselves from incrimination.
Source: Asahi Shimbun Digital, NHK News Web, Yomiuri Shimbun Online, Otaku.com
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- External Link
- https://soranews24.com/2023/06/14/okinawa-man-hired-to-steal-1500-pokemon-cards-arrested-in-tokyo/
9 Comments
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sakurasuki
He is being tricked, he should insist payment before he handover the card. Even to think that he isn't clever enough.
the_sicilian
sakurasukiToday 06:37 am JST
This is how drug mules get caught up, they do it for a promise. And because they are in such dire straits, they agree.
3RENSHO
J. Wellington Wimpy [quote]: "I'll gladly pay you Tuesday for a hamburger today".
Bordeaux
Pokemon cards are easy to resell and hard to track. The whole thing seems like a scam, and Omori does not seem too bright.
He would steal 1,500 cards worth 1.15 million yen and get paid over 1 million yen. Does that sound right?
That right there should have been a red flag. Then they told him to pick up the money at another location on a different day. Unless he knew the people, why would Omori trust them to pay him later?
How low long would he need to stay in Kanto to receive payment?
More costs incurred! That is just kicking someone while they are down!
Garthgoyle
I could almost feel sorry for this guy. Almost.
My friend divorced this kind of guy who'd spend all the money on gambling and will not let him see the kid again, since he now borrows money from the yaks to gamble.
WA4TKG
Stop gambling, stay out of jail
Nicolò
Poor man. They are just scrap papers...
shogun36
and if not, oh well? Strike 1.
strike 2…..not looking good.
strike 3. You’re out at the moron games. Thank you for playing.
This is the part that gets me, and of course it’s not in the story……
soo……..how did he get caught? Did he go to the Koban and confess? He had no cards in his Possession.
very good point there. He would’ve been better just selling it off, himself.
sir_bentley28
Crimes from these sites keep popping up lately! When would the police ACTUALLY start cracking down on these "job sites"? Are they waiting for someone to loose their life then to satrt lazily looking into these types of job advertisers?