Famous Pokemon card collector Yves Bruynen is offering a €10,000 reward after a group of sophisticated thieves stole items from his shop in Belgium.
Unfortunately, with Pokemon cards selling for a lot of money,many shops have been targetedby thieves – and Bruynen’s was no exception.
Earlier in January, burglars broke into his Hoogstraten store and helped themselves to rare items amounting to over $200,000, making it one of thebiggest Pokemon theftswe’ve seen thus far.
Pokemon collector offers big reward after $200,000 collection stolen
According to reports fromVoice of Europe, these thieves came in with a bold strategy far beyond what the likes of Team Rocket could hope to pull off.
The thieves reportedly utilized Wi-Fi jammers and headsets, while one member of the crew kept watch outside the store.
“They came into the store with big bags. They mainly targeted the most expensive and exclusive products. They left out the new products, which are worth a little less,” Bruynenexplained. “They knew very well where to go, we see them heading straight for the cupboards where the exclusive products were located.”
Luckily, the owner believes that the rarity of the cards will make them hard to sell, but he’s offering a €10,000 for anyone who can provide clues to catch thethieves.
“I’m really devastated, I cried,” the collector said. “It’s a life’s work that I’ve built over the past ten years. All of that disappeared in one fell swoop. As far as I’m concerned, it’s going to be a real manhunt. I have to get them back, because, unfortunately, insurance won’t cover everything.”
Michael Gwilliam is Dexerto’s Deputy Entertainment Editor in the US. He expertly covers trending stories across Twitch, Kick, YouTube, TikTok, as well as Overwatch, GTA, and Smash Bros. You can contact him at: michael.gwilliam@dexerto.com
