Police raid drug dealer’s home and find rare Pokémon cards, then his phone reveals customers were using them to pay off debts
Customers paid their drug debts with Pokémon cards, but the dealer didn't get to keep his collection.
Pokémon cards are usually traded for other Pokémon cards. One drug dealer in England, however, reportedly decided they were also acceptable payment for cocaine and cannabis. Kent Police eventually caught on, and his collection became considerably less collectible once officers seized it.
Jack Young-Larter, 26, was dealing cocaine and cannabis in Maidstone, Kent, when officers searched his London Road property on May 1. Among the drugs, cash, and equipment they seized was a box of rare Pokémon collectibles that would eventually become part of the criminal case against him.
According to Dexerto, investigators discovered the payment arrangement while examining two phones recovered during the raid. Messages and videos showed Young-Larter arranging drug supplies and directing customers to collect hidden packages, while records indicated that some debts were settled with Pokémon trading cards.
Police found more than a valuable card collection
The search uncovered nearly 110 grams of cannabis, more than 25 grams of cocaine, weighing scales, empty deal bags, and approximately £2,000 in cash. Officers also seized two phones and a collection of rare Pokémon cards considered highly valuable. Luckily, innocent Pikachu and his friends were safely rescued from an environment hardly suitable for a Pokémon.
The phones provided investigators with a closer look at how Young-Larter operated. Messages reportedly detailed the supply of cocaine and cannabis, while videos showed packets of drugs concealed for customers to collect. Payments were made in cash, by bank transfer, and with Pokémon cards. Kent Police said Young-Larter had even asked customers to steal collectible Pokémon cards to settle their drug debts. Cash and bank transfers weren’t the only currencies accepted. After all, handled legally, Pokémon cards can be serious business; ask the football player who quit the NFL for Pokémon cards as a source of income.
The cards were not simply an unusual hobby sitting alongside the evidence. Investigators linked them to the drug operation, and the collection would ultimately be treated as criminal property. As unlikely as it seems, Pokémon cards have figured in criminal cases before, including a 2013 incident involving a collectible card dispute that led to a man’s arrest.
The court confiscated the cards, too
Young-Larter pleaded guilty at Maidstone Crown Court on September 17 and was sentenced to three years and four months in prison. The court also issued a Deprivation Order covering his Pokémon card collection, preventing him from keeping the collectibles. Critical hit. It’s super effective.
Detective Constable Emily Hill said Young-Larter had taken advantage of vulnerable people through drug dealing. She drew a strong distinction between collecting Pokémon cards for enjoyment and using them as part of a trade that harms communities. Hill even found room for a Pokémon reference of her own, saying Kent officers were “on a mission to catch them all.”
Young-Larter’s collection may have been valuable, but it was no match for the court’s Deprivation Order. Turns out, the rarest card he failed to secure was the one that could have kept him out of prison.
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