The Japanese mob is reportedly using Pokémon cards to launder money stolen from bank transfers. Experts say the cards are easy to hide and sell overseas, making them an ideal tool for criminals.
For years, kids of all ages have collected Pokémon cards, trading them with friends after school or begging their parents to buy more at the store. But now, another group of people has allegedly become interested in the popular cards bearing images of the franchise’s most beloved characters, including the Pikachu, Squirtle, Eevie and Charizard: the Japanese mob.
They bought the most expensive Pokémon card in the world: a PSA grade 10 (read: perfect) Pikachu Illustrator card for a whopping $5,275,000 from a collector in Dubai, according to Guinness World Records. 'Many criminals who commit bank transfer fraud are converting the money they steal into Pokémon cards,” a former crime syndicate executive told the outlet. “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,’ the executive said. Pokémon cards are easy to hide, and if you take them overseas and cash them there, you can't get tracked down.’ In September 2024, thieves allegedly made off with Pokemon cards worth $70,000 — after asking store employees which cards were worth the most
CRIMINAL MONEY LAUNDERING POKEMON CARDS JAPANESE MOB BANK TRANSFERS
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