A recent police report revealed that thieves used a van to smash the front window of a Dutch toy store and make off with an unspecified amount of Pokémon and LEGO merchandise.
A high-speed chase ensued after the toy heist was called into local police by numerous eyewitnesses in the town of Voorburg. Two men were reportedly involved in using a white van to break the window of a shop named Intertoys and make off with the stolen goods. A police helicopter was deployed to help track down and pursue a vehicle matching the description. However, it turned out the police were following the wrong white van and the pursuit was called off. Later that same evening the actual van was found in the nearby city of The Hague, abandoned by the thieves and with none of the stolen property inside.
The store manager said that LEGO and Pokémon toys are a specific target due to their high cost and desirability. "There's a lot of money involved here," said the manager. "Because of the LEGO Masters program, LEGO has become extremely popular and Pokémon is also worth a lot of money." LEGO sets have limited two-year runs, which creates a strong second-hand market for them among collectors. The Pokémon Trading Card Game market is currently surging with high prices, particularly for graded cards. Heists like these are not a rarity in both the United States and abroad.
It's possible the thieves were looking to get their hands on the latest expansion for the Pokémon Trading Card Game: Evolving Skies. The set introduces a variety of rare cares that could fetch a decent price at auction. Whether they'd sell the goods as unsealed booster packs is unknown, but if they opened them, they'd need to sift through all the filler to get to the valuable cards.
As for the shop, the manager plans on getting back to business quickly. "Fortunately, we are prepared for this kind of craziness and we have laminated glass in the façade," he explained. "We will open again on Monday. No one was injured and there is only material damage. And a little emotional damage." Police are still searching for the suspects and have asked anyone local who may have seen or heard something to contact them directly with any information.
Source: Vice