The Vancouver police (VPD) have arrested a man accused of robbing people of high-value Pokémon cards.
Police say they have responded to five separate robberies involving Pokémon cards since March 23 alone.
Each of those meetings was organized through 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 Sgt. Ryan Campbell. “Some of the cards can be worth thousands of dollars.”
According to police, officers managed to communicate with a suspect online and offered to sell them cards.
“The suspect was arrested when he showed up,” VPD Sgt. Ryan Campbell said in a written statement.
Related:
Police believe there may be other victims who have not come forward and are asking anyone with information to call police.
The VPD is also warning the public to be careful when it comes to arranged meetups.
“If you are planning on buying, selling, or trading items with someone you don’t know, use our Safe Exchange Location right outside the front door of our headquarters at 2120 Cambie Street,” said Constable Darren Wong.
“It is well-lit, and we have monitored security cameras.”