Suspects of Pokémon card robbery remain in their cells

Three men suspected in a robbery of expensive Pokémon cards in Kampen will remain in custody for the time being. During a hearing involving the three suspects on Thursday, the Zwolle court was told that the estimated value of the stolen cards was 48,000 euros in total.

The victim intended to sell the cards, and was visited by two potential buyers on December 16, 2020. The victim let them inside, but soon he was locked in a hallway closet. The two robbers made off with the cards. The court had to put an early end to the hearing on Thursday night due to a lack of time. In part because of this, the Defense pressed for the release of the suspects. Prosecutors objected to this, and the judges did not agree to the request.

One suspect, 29-year-old Bart G., from Lelystad, affirmed that he was in the house that day. A discussion arose about the possibility the cards were stolen, enraging the seller, G. said. When he went to get a club from the hallway closet, G. Alleges he pushed the suspect in and locked the door.

The two other suspects claimed they were not in the home that day. Prosecutors said Sjagalio K. (28), from Kampen, accompanied G., and that his fingerprint was on the closet, but K. denies having been there.

Fahad Al-A., 30, is said to be the mastermind behind the robbery. He may have sold a portion of the cards in France. He claims to have bought a "bag full of cards" at a train station in Almere for 14,000 euros in cash. He has been trading these cards internationally for a long time and claims that he did not know he was dealing with stolen cards.

Al-A. and the victim know each other. Two months before the robbery, Al-A. purchased Pokémon cards from the man. There was talk of another sale between the two, "But I was not interested," said the suspect.

The victim is claiming 52,000 euros in damages. He has since recovered a small portion of the stolen cards.

A date for the continuation of the criminal case is not yet available.