Hong Kong authorities uncovered a Pokemon TCG store that was actually a front for a narcotics warehouse, where $1.3 million worth of methamphetamine was found by the police.
Despite the innocent and child-friendly reputation of the Pokemon franchise, it has unfortunately become a magnet for criminal activity. In fact, there is a lengthy list of felonies that are directly or indirectly linked to Pokemon.
Throughout the years, there have been several incidents involving thefts of $500,000, armed robberies, and most recently, a store that focuses on selling and playing the popular Pokemon TCG was damaged during a shootout. It appears that there is something about these cute creatures that brings out the negative tendencies in individuals.
The Hong Kong Police recently discovered a hidden storage facility in a Pokemon TCG store, which may be one of the most serious Pokemon-related crimes to date. Upon searching the facility, they discovered large amounts of methamphetamine intended for commercial distribution.
We knew this one looked suspicious.
The South China Morning Post first reported the incident on August 19, 2024, when the police conducted a raid at a Pokémon card shop. This was in response to an investigation of a 28-year-old man who was caught with 5kg of methamphetamine outside the store. Upon searching the store, the police discovered an additional 16kg of the drug hidden in a staff-only area.
Despite regularly holding Pokemon TCG tournaments and having a customer base consisting mostly of children and teenagers, the estimated value of the drugs seized from the store was $10 million HKD, equivalent to approximately $1.3 million USD. Police have confirmed that the drugs were not being sold or trafficked by any of the store’s customers.
Despite the statement made by Hong Kong Narcotics Bureau Inspector Liong Chun-Hin, the crime remained unconscionable. In an interview with local media, he expressed his concern over the irresponsible and disgraceful behavior of storing a large amount of narcotics in a location where teenagers and children may frequent, increasing the risk of them accidentally coming into contact with illegal drugs.
According to Liong Chun-Hin, police have reason to suspect that the store had been serving as a cover for drug storage for over a month before it was discovered by authorities.
The suspicion also involves the recruitment of the owners by a significantly larger drug trafficking organization.
Leave a Reply