A Pokémon gamer and fan was arrested this week in Japan for selling modified creatures and games. The 36-year-old man was arrested by police while selling various rare Pokémon for Pokémon Scarlet & Violet, the most recent games in the series for Nintendo Switch.
According to details, the man operated such business since 2022 and offered the creatures through internet sites. Because of this, he could spend several years in prison or face a million-dollar fine, as he violated an important law in Japan.
Man who trafficked Pokémon could spend up to 5 years in prison
.
Thanks to a report from NHK News (via Games Radar), we know the man was offering Pokémon packs and modified save files for up to $90 USD. Police revealed that the man started this business since December 2022 and continued to the present day.
For such reason, an investigation was launched, as authorities suspect that the man earned millions of yen by selling creatures during all these months. He was caught in the act, when he was about to sell 6 rare Pokémon in exchange for $30 USD.
The detainee accepted his crime and explained that he sold creatures and games to make a living. Now, he could face a sentence of up to 5 years in prison or a fine of more than ¥5,000,000 JPY, which is equivalent to $32,621 USD at the current exchange rate.
The penalty is severe as the man violated the Unfair Competition Prevention Act for modifying video game save files. At the time of writing this, his sentence has not yet been handed down and it is not known what the future holds for him.
This is not the first time something similar has happened with the franchise. Previously, men have been arrested for selling modified versions of Pokémon GO Plus and very expensive cards from the franchise's TCG.
Comments
Best
New