Reality sometimes surpasses fiction, or in this case, imitates the absurd comedy of manga. The Saitama Prefecture Police has confirmed the arrest of one of their own: a 25-year-old officer accused of plundering the evidence room to finance his gambling addiction, taking with him an unusual but extremely valuable loot: collectible cards (known as “treca” in Japan).

The suspect, identified as patrol officer Toshiyuki Fujioka from the criminal investigation section of the Hanyu police station, allegedly committed the theft between October 11 and November 25 of last year. The cards in question were not just any toys; they were part of the evidence seized in a store robbery case in October 2025.

Fujioka stole nine rare high-value cards. According to reports, he sold eight of them in specialized stores in Saitama and Tokyo, obtaining a total of 742,500 yen (approx. $5,000). Some individual cards reached resale prices of up to 275,000 yen, demonstrating the economic bubble surrounding the collectibles market.

“I couldn’t control my impulses”

The crime was discovered when another investigator noticed discrepancies in the evidence warehouse inventory. After tracking the transactions, authorities found the ninth card still in the officer’s possession. When questioned, Fujioka admitted the facts with a regretful confession: “I exchanged everything for cash and used it on horse races. I couldn’t control my gambling impulses.”

Chief Inspector Katsuya Saito described the incident as “deeply regrettable” and promised severe disciplinary measures. However, on social media, outrage was mixed with disbelief. Many users immediately compared the situation to Kochikame, the long-running police comedy manga starring Ryotsu Kankichi, an officer obsessed with money and quick schemes to get rich.

“It’s like seeing Ryotsu in real life,” commented internet users, while others pointed out the seriousness of the matter: by stealing the evidence, the officer not only committed a crime but also potentially sabotaged the original store robbery investigation, further damaging the institution’s credibility.

Do you think the obsession with collecting and betting is generating new types of unusual crime?