Swedish gangsters are using Pokemon cards to launder drug trafficking profits in Marbella, it has emerged.
The Policia Nacional has uncovered, for the first time in Malaga, a money-washing network using collectible trading cards to clean cash linked to organised crime.
The scheme was discovered by the specialised Greco Costa del Sol unit, which identified a group operating out of Marbella with links to drug trafficking and violent crime in Sweden.
Investigators say the group offered clients a seemingly legitimate way to ‘invest’ illicit cash – by purchasing high-value Pokemon cards.
Rare cards continue to rise in value, can be easily traded internationally and provide a credible paper trail through auctions and specialist platforms.
During a raid carried out in coordination with Nordic authorities, most suspects were arrested in Sweden, while one person was detained in Marbella, where officers carried out several searches.
In one property, police found a folder containing Pokemon cards allegedly intended to launder money from criminal activities.
Rare cards from the late 1990s and early 2000s – particularly those linked to early editions of Pikachu – can fetch thousands, hundreds of thousands or even millions of euros depending on their rarity and condition.
One of the most famous examples is the ‘Pikachu Illustrator’ card, considered one of the rarest in the world. Fewer than 40 were ever produced, and one copy sold for a reported €13.5 million at auction.
That kind of value combined with a largely unregulated resale market makes collectibles an attractive tool for laundering money.
Police said the case highlights how criminal networks are constantly evolving to evade detection.
Traditional laundering methods, such as property, luxury goods or art, are now being supplemented by alternative assets like trading cards, sneakers and vintage collectibles.
‘These are products that were once cheap and accessible but have exploded in value,’ sources said.
‘That makes them ideal for moving money under the radar.’
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