Newsletters
Dutch customs officers have intercepted more than 1.7 million counterfeit Pokemon cards at the Port of Rotterdam, Dutch media announced Wednesday.
The cards were found in May during an inspection of a container at the Maasvlakte, an area of the port. An officer noticed a considerable number of Pokemon cards among the goods and doubted their authenticity, even though they looked genuine at first glance.
A customs counterfeit specialist then went to the warehouse with an original card for comparison. Placed side by side, the differences were clear.
The fake cards carried no reference to the trademark holder, and their colors, paper, and images did not match those of the real card.
Half of the container was filled with the cards: 9,300 boxes holding 142,800 packs, or 1,719,000 cards in total. Customs calculated that, stacked on top of one another, they would reach more than 515 meters, almost three times the height of the Euromast, Rotterdam’s observation tower.
Customs said the announcement was delayed because brand owner Nintendo first had to confirm that the cards were fake. The cards have since been destroyed at Nintendo’s request, a customs spokesperson told a Dutch news site. The agency said it is responsible only for intercepting the goods, and that any prosecution is a matter for Nintendo.
Pokemon cards have grown into a major collectibles market since the trading card game launched in the 1990s.
Prices are driven mainly by scarcity, condition, and cultural significance, while nostalgia among adult collectors and a run of record auction sales have added to demand.
The most expensive card ever sold is a Pikachu Illustrator, a rare Japanese promotional card, which fetched $16.49 million at Goldin Auctions on Feb. 16, 2026.
It was graded PSA 10, the top mark from the grading company PSA, which authenticates and rates cards. Most ordinary cards sell for far less, but rising prices have also attracted counterfeiters, and industry observers say fake cards remain a persistent risk for buyers.
Set as preferred source
Set as preferred source
1 min read
1 min read
