Security footage has captured the moment thieves tunnelled through a wall to steal £140,000 worth of Pokémon cards from a California collectibles shop, police have said.
The heist took place early Wednesday at DOWE Collectibles in Anaheim, Orange County. According to the Anaheim Police Department, four suspects broke into a neighbouring business before using a sledgehammer to smash through the connecting wall.
The store’s CCTV shows a suspect using a sledgehammer to break glass display cases filled with Pokémon cards, while another hastily scoops the cards into a rubbish bag. The thieves then fled in a dark-coloured sedan.
Owner Duy Pham told local media he was alerted by his phone and saw the intruders entering through the hole. “My heart was pounding,” he said. Pham noted the thieves stole over 500 cards in minutes, some worth thousands of pounds each, and ignored electronics. This is the second time the store has been broken into.
Anaheim police are following leads but have not yet made any arrests. The Pokémon franchise has seen a surge in value, with a first edition 1999 Charizard card listed for nearly £480,000 on eBay.
