Card shops are having to incorporate security systems on par with jewelry and antique shops to keep ahead of increasingly aggressive burglars with eyes on a mint-condition Charizard. Just this week one caper that spanned most of the country was thwarted by the Tokyo police, who arrested 35-year-old Masaki Omori of Okinawa for stealing some 1,500 cards...
It all began when Omori applied for a "yami baito" or "dark part-time job" which is a one-time, high-pay, and high-risk criminal endeavor at the request of someone, often made over social media.
The suspect flew to Ibaraki on 11 April using his own money and rented a car from there to travel to Akihabara. At about 5:00 a.m. on 12 April, Omori smashed through a window of the unoccupied store and proceeded to take about 1,500 cards worth approximately 1.15 million yen (US$8,240)...
Master Blaster https://soranews24.com/2023/06/14/okinawa-man-hired-to-steal-1500-pokemon-cards-arrested-in-tokyo/

The whole article is an insane must-read.