A series of smash-and-grab robberies have hit Pokémon card shops across the UK as the increasingly popular collectible cards soar in value.
Celestial Collectables in Warrington, Cheshire is one of the latest stores to be targeted after robberies in Rugby, Bristol, Bournemouth, Peterborough and Nottingham among others in recent weeks.
Shops have seen stock worth tens of thousands of pounds stolen. Cheshire Constabulary told the BBC it was in contact with police in the north west and around the UK about the issue.
Pokémon cards have been collected and traded for 30 years but since Covid, they have attracted more attention online, with some of the rarest selling for huge sums.
A recent auction by specialist auction house Stanley Gibbons Baldwins saw over £1.5m in "Pokémon assets" change hands.
While most cards are not worth thousands of pounds, high-profile sales of the rarest items have driven both collector and investor interest.
Earlier this year, the YouTuber, wrestler and boxer Logan Paul auctioned an ultra-rare, high-quality Pikachu card for a record-shattering $16.5m (£12m).
However, as the value grows so does the cards' appeal to criminals.$BTC $ETH
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