Clever Shoplifter Caught Using Unusual Tactic at Grocery Checkout

He failed to dash away with breakfast in hand.

A daring thief was apprehended after attempting to pilfer Pokémon cards and other collectibles by cleverly concealing them within cereal boxes.

Authorities in Brea, California, revealed that the habitual shoplifter employed a “very specific” tactic—slipping trading cards and various items into empty cereal boxes to bypass the checkout unnoticed.

“Unfortunately for the suspect, our officers’ investigation was SUPER EFFECTIVE,” the Brea Police Department announced in an Instagram post. “We successfully recovered the stolen goods and apprehended the individual without any issues.”

Images from the operation displayed piles of Pokémon cards alongside over a dozen torn-open boxes of Honeycomb, Kix, Corn Flakes, and Cheerios.

Additional photos revealed a variety of other items reportedly retrieved from the thief, including electric razors, calculators, shampoo, printer ink cartridges, and women’s undergarments, among others.

The California Post reached out to the Brea Police Department for further comment. 

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“While the suspect was busy trying to ‘CATCH EM ALL,’ they forgot that we’re committed to doing the same when it comes to organized retail theft,” police added in their post.

Viewers on social cheered the bust while Pokémon fans marveled at the haul.

“Where were they even at that had that much Pokemon out for people to grab??” one wrote.

“You should donate the Pokémon cards to the poor aka me,” another joked.

“How much for the Pokemon cards? Asking for a friend,” a third quipped.

In January, thieves stole a $300,000 set of Pokémon cards and other collectibles in two robberies in Los Angeles — including a brazen caught-on-camera heist using an electric saw.