Vancouver police have arrested a man accused of targeting Pokémon card sellers through Facebook Marketplace, where multiple meetups in late March allegedly turned into robberies.
Authorities say the suspect arranged to meet sellers in public places and, instead of completing the purchase, used bear spray to incapacitate victims before stealing high-value cards, some worth thousands of dollars.
Investigators linked at least five incidents between March 23 and March 27 to the same individual. To catch him, police conducted a sting operation by posing as sellers online and arrested the suspect when he arrived for a planned meeting.
The investigation remains ongoing, with concerns that more victims may not have come forward, and police are advising people to use designated safe exchange zones for online transactions.
The case comes amid a surge in Pokémon card demand, driven partly by the franchise’s 30th anniversary, which has fueled both market value and theft incidents.