Two men have pleaded guilty to a series of burglaries in which they stole more than £71,000 worth of Pokémon Trading Card Game (TCG) products, targeting small, independent card shops. The case highlights the soaring real-world value of collectible trading cards, which has made specialist retailers an increasingly attractive target for organised theft.

The pair admitted to a string of break-ins at small card stores, making off with Pokémon TCG stock cumulatively valued at over £71,000. Such shops are often independently run and hold high-value sealed products and singles, leaving them particularly vulnerable to this kind of targeted crime amid a continued boom in the collectible card market.