B.C. seller pepper-sprayed as robbers snatch valuable Pokemon cards

Vancouver police say three teenagers have been arrested in connection with a violent Pokemon card robbery.

Mark Li just wanted to sell a pair of Pokemon cards.

Instead, he ended up pepper-sprayed and robbed.

“At least I survived,” he said of the incident that happened in Burnaby.

Li said last October, he posted the cards for sale on Facebook Marketplace.

“One was $6,500 and the other was $12,000,” Li said.

A thief, posing as a buyer, contacted him and they agreed to meet up outside a residence.

There were two men there when he arrived. Li said they told him they needed to make sure the cards were legitimate.

Shortly after handing the valuable cards over, things turned violent. He recalled one of the suspects suddenly saying, “Get him,” followed by some expletives, and pepper-spay being discharged.

With his eyes burning from the spray, the thieves got him on the ground, stealing both the cards and his phone.

Li, who has since opened Royal Card Shop and Collectibles, said the suspects have not been caught.

Pokemon cards have become incredibly valuable.

Jesse Peng of Vancity CJ Trading Cards said the rarest of cards can be worth millions.

“This one’s around $3 million and this is around $1 million USD,” Peng, said, showing CTV News a pair of highly valued cards.

“These cards, we don’t keep them at the shop. We don’t keep them at the house. We keep them in a secure bank vault off-site.”

Peng said he’s heard about stores getting hit multiple times by smash-and-grab thieves.

“People are realizing, especially organized crime…card shops are not equipped like jewelry stores or high-end clothing stores or even banks, to have the security to stop people from coming in,” Peng said.

He said his shop has not been targeted, but believes card stores with a street-level location need to take the same precautions as high-end stores on Robson Street where security guards are always posted.

This week, Vancouver police arrested a suspect in an unrelated series of five Pokemon card thefts, which happened after sellers posted on Facebook Marketplace.

“The suspect would arrange to meet sellers in a public place and, instead of buying the cards, would allegedly use bear spray on the victims, steal the cards, and run off,” said Staff Sgt. Ryan Campbell.

Campbell said the arrest was made after police posed as a Pokemon seller, listing ads on Facebook Marketplace.

Police said if you are selling, meet in a public place or a safe exchange site like the one outside the Vancouver Police Department’s main office, which is well-lit and has security cameras.

Meanwhile, Li said he’s much more cautious now when selling online.