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By Joe Edwards
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A Florida man's attempt to abscond with over $30,000 worth of Pokémon cards was thwarted after two MMA coaches tackled and restrained him in Miami.
On May 6 the man allegedly entered Pro Play Games in Miami asking to see a binder filled with Pokémon cards, which he then snatched and attempted to flee with.
AnaMilena Machado, the store's general manager, told NBC: "It was just like at that moment it felt like so helpless because it was like, we are just watching 30, 40 thousand dollars of our hard work just walk off."
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Machado apparently told the man to drop the binder, but the thief simply looked back, laughing.
Footage has since circulated on social media of bystanders confronting the thief. In the video, three men, one of whom is shirtless, can be seen apprehending and restraining the suspect on the floor.
"My friend jumped out of the car, cut him off and that's when we got on top of him and used our ju-jitsu to subdue him," said Dominic Galiana, one of the two martial arts coaches from a nearby center who can be seen confronting the thief in the video.
Police identified the suspect as 33-year-old Jasiel Manfarrol. He was charged with aggravated assault and grand theft.
Newsweek has contacted Pro Play Games for more detail.
First popularized in the late 90's, the cards have become a hot commodity among collectors, with valuation sites online pricing individual cards at thousands of dollars.
In 2021, YouTube influencer Logan Paul purchased a highly coveted PSA Grade 10 Illustrator card in a $5,275,000 trade in Dubai, breaking the record for the most expensive Pokémon trading card ever sold at a private sale.
Their explosion in value has also made them a target for criminals, however.
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In 2021, another Florida man, Eric Jerome Drake, was arrested for stealing more than $600 worth of cards from a local Walmart.
Read more: Capital One Walmart Rewards Mastercard Review
A Yakuza boss was apprehended by Japanese police in April in connection with a theft that included 25 Pokémon cards, SoraNews24 reported. The man was reportedly leader of the Takinogawa family and a part of one of the largest Yakuza groups in Japan.
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