Talk to most collectors and they’ll tell you that the pandemic almost five years ago changed the way people buy and sell collectibles. Pokemon cards were heavily affected and some big chain retailers like Target had to limit the number of packs they could sell to customers. They’ve become such a hot commodity that Japan’s news media has reported that the mob is using cards to assist in laundering money.
As Shunkan Gendai online reports (via Automaton), criminals have been turning their dirty money into Pokemon cards. The cards’ portable size makes them easy to hide and transport, and then they resell the cards, converting their profits into local currency.
“Many criminals who commit bank transfer fraud are converting the money they steal into Pokemon cards. 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,” a former high ranked crime family member explained. “Pokemon cards are easy to hide, and if you take them overseas and cash them there, you can’t get tracked down.”
Criminals have also gotten smarter with what to look out for and feel for when trying to get the more valuable cards. With the chances of getting sought-after Pokemon-ex cards rare already, criminals are now using metal detectors to get a hit on the foil from the card. They’re also implementing highly sensitive weighing devices to determine if an unopened pack contains a rare foil card.
In 2022, YouTuber and WWE performer Logan Paul bought a graded Pikachu Illustrator card for $5.7 million, making it the most expensive card ever sold. The Pikachu Illustrator was only awarded to the winners of the Original Illustration Contest in Japan, with only 20-39 known copies ever released. Similarly graded cards are priced on eBay for $2-$4 million.