Japanese Criminals Use Rare Pokemon Cards In Money-Laundering Schemes

The Pokemon franchise is no stranger to being dragged into controversies, but now, the cards have ended up in money laundering schemes in Japan. Criminals are trading their dirty money for Pokemon cards. 

Syndicates are using rare Pokemon cards instead of artwork because the cards can be traded internationally without question. And their values can be staggering—for example, Illustrator Pikachu sells for $5- $6 million. 

A former crime boss interviewed by Shenkai Gundai Online admitted that the cards can go anywhere without risking much, plus they’re small enough that you can carry plenty of them. Pokemon cards can be sold in other countries for local currency, thus widening their appeal.

The criminals are buying up Pokemon card packs, but how are they finding the rares without opening them? Here’s how it works. Thieves buy up boxes and weigh each five-card pack because the shiny cards weigh more than the regular cards. These embossed cards foil (pun intended) Pokemon’s anonymous RNG pack status by making the pack a little heavier, giving the money launderers the upper hand with their highly technical tools. 

They’re looking for the added weight the metal embossed cards give. They then remove all of the heavier packs and open them up for the valuables. The rare cards are sold at high prices, and the unopened packs are resold. 

It seems prudent to avoid Japanese auction sites or platforms selling Pokemon cards at this point since this money laundering scheme appears to be running large-scale and high-level.

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