A woman is being accused of stealing 13 packs of Pokémon trading cards worth S$364 from a shop at The Centrepoint shopping mall along Orchard Road.
The incident reportedly took place on Nov 7, 2026, at Play United, a trading card game (TCG) store specialising in collectible cards.
The shop subsequently released CCTV footage of the incident on its Facebook page, appealing for eyewitnesses and giving the woman an opportunity to return the items.
According to the shop owner, the woman appeared to have deliberately selected higher-priced and rarer Pokémon cards rather than randomly taking items from the display.
CCTV Footage Shows Woman Taking Pokémon Card Packs
Speaking to Shin Min Daily News, the shop’s 32-year-old owner, surnamed Wu, said the woman was a first-time customer.
CCTV footage showed a bespectacled woman with medium-length hair wearing a blue dress browsing through the Pokémon card selection.
She was seen repeatedly glancing towards her right while examining the merchandise.
According to the report, the woman allegedly waited until a shop employee turned away to attend to other customers before reaching for a stack of cards from a table and display case.
The items involved were packs from The Pokémon Trading Card Game: Scarlet and Violet – 151 expansion, Japanese edition.
The shop later highlighted the incident on social media, giving the woman three days to come forward and return the merchandise before the matter was escalated.
13 Packs Allegedly Taken, Including Discontinued Collectables
According to the shop, a total of 13 packs were allegedly taken, with each pack retailing for S$28.
This brought the total value of the missing merchandise to S$364.
Wu told Shin Min that the woman appeared to know which cards were more valuable, as she allegedly selected higher-priced products and popular collections.
Some of the affected products were also discontinued collectables, making them particularly sought after among Pokémon card collectors.
The shop’s social media post included a warning that it had extensive CCTV coverage and urged the woman to return the items.
Shop Gives Woman Opportunity to Return Cards
Wu said she discussed the incident with her employees before deciding how to handle the situation.
Although other outlets belonging to the trading card business had experienced theft incidents previously, the company had generally chosen not to pursue cases involving smaller amounts.
However, the quantity and value of the merchandise allegedly taken in this incident prompted the shop to take a different approach.
Rather than immediately pursuing the matter, the owner decided to give the woman an opportunity to return the cards and apologise.
Wu suggested that the woman might be facing personal difficulties and expressed hope that she would come forward to resolve the matter.
She also indicated that the shop would not pursue the case further if the merchandise was returned.
Store Strengthens Security Following Incident
The woman has reportedly not returned the cards or contacted the shop following its public appeal.
In response to the incident, Play United has taken additional precautions to prevent similar occurrences.
Wu said the store has more than 10 surveillance cameras installed, providing coverage across almost all areas of the premises.
The shop has also reduced the quantity of merchandise placed on open display.
However, Wu explained that displaying the cards was important because customers needed to browse the available selections and choose the products they wanted to purchase.
As a result, keeping every item locked away was not a practical solution.
Employees have since been reminded to remain more vigilant and return merchandise to its storage boxes after customers finish browsing.
The shop hopes the additional precautions will reduce the risk of further losses while allowing customers to continue shopping for their favourite trading cards.