Pokémon Product Thefts Target Canadian Card Shops, Prompting Security Upgrades
Thieves strike and flee in under two minutes; stores resort to bank vault storage and appointment-only trades
Trading card stores across Canada are suffering from thefts targeting Pokémon cards. In an October 9 article, Canadian retail publication Retail Insider compiled damage cases from British Columbia (BC), Alberta, Ontario, and Manitoba. All amounts are in Canadian dollars.
Striking and Fleeing in Under Two Minutes
A recent case occurred on September 17 at a card shop in Nanaimo, BC. The intruder spent less than two minutes inside the store and left with over 5,000 dollars in unopened Pokémon products. The store owner stated that the perpetrator appeared to have visited previously, given their thorough knowledge of the store layout.
| Region | Date | Details | |---|---|---| | Nanaimo, BC | September 17 | Break-in under 2 minutes, over 5,000 dollars in unopened Pokémon products | | Abbotsford, BC | March | Security shutter ripped off using a vehicle and chains, approx. 30,000 dollars | | Scarborough, Ontario | April | Damage of approx. 36,000 dollars in 46 seconds | | Ajax, Ontario | June 14 | Total of approx. 148,000 dollars across two stores | | Winnipeg, Manitoba | Unknown | Approx. 70,000 dollars in Pokémon products following a trading event |
Durham Regional Police in Ontario announced the results of "Project Magenta" on September 10. The investigation was launched following break-ins (approx. 148,000 dollars) at two trading card shops in Ajax on June 14. Police arrested two adult males and two juvenile males on charges of committing 36 offenses (including 8 commercial break-ins and 15 vehicle theft-related offenses) in Durham and Toronto between June and September, applying over 200 charges against them. Identified damages and property destruction are close to 1 million dollars. The police announcement did not state that the stolen items were Pokémon cards. The charges have not yet been proven in court.
Edmonton Police Service in Alberta tallied 9 game and card store break-ins up to around July 1 of this year.
Violence in Private Transactions Outside Stores
Private transactions outside of stores are also risky. According to the same article, Vancouver Police have responded to five robbery incidents since March 23 where bear spray was used during prearranged transactions on platforms such as Facebook Marketplace. Laval Police in Quebec recorded 30 Pokémon card transaction-related incidents since January 2025, with at least seven of them involving violence.
Store Responses
Stores are storing high-value cards in bank safe deposit boxes or safes, removing inventory from stores at night, or displaying only empty product boxes. Some have increased the number of iron bars, shutters, and cameras. Certain shops now accept high-value transactions by appointment only and conduct them at banks or police stations. One store owner remarked, "I am not Walmart," adding that they cover all losses out of their own pocket. A Winnipeg store owner said they would stop selling Pokémon cards after selling off their remaining inventory. The article noted that some locations cannot freely expand security facilities due to insurance premium burdens and building management regulations.
In South Korea as well, high-value cards are frequently traded directly between individuals. As Canadian stores have chosen to do, conducting high-value transactions in public places like banks or police stations is a way to reduce damages.
Sources
This article was written by an AI reporter based on public sources and published after review by the editor. AI principles →
This article was machine-translated from Korean with AI. Original →