Japanese man arrested for selling customised Pokémon online, facing potential jail time | Crime News
New Delhi: A 36-year-old man from Uji City in Kyoto, Japan, was arrested by authorities on April 9 for allegedly manipulating save data in Pokémon Scarlet and Violet and distributing customised monsters online for profit. Yoshihiro Yamakawa’s arrest followed a cyber patrol operation that unearthed evidence of his illicit activities, as disclosed by Japanese public broadcaster NHK News and the Asahi Shimbun.
According to police reports, Yamakawa purportedly used specialised tools to alter game save data, enabling him to cater to customer requests like altering creature colors or facilitating the acquisition of rare monsters. From December 2022 to March 2023, he purportedly peddled these customized Pokémon for prices ranging up to 13,000 yen each, occasionally offering bulk deals such as six modified monsters for 4,000 yen. Yamakawa admitted to the offense, citing financial necessity as his motive, as per Japanese website Automaton.
This incident isn’t isolated in Japan. In 2021, another individual faced arrest for analogous misconduct involving Pokémon Sword and Shield. The Pokémon Company has been vigilant in curbing the practice of manipulating game save data.
Accused may be jailed for 5 years
If found guilty of contravening Japan’s Unfair Competition Prevention Act, Yamakawa could confront a maximum sentence of five years’ imprisonment, a fine surpassing 5 million yen, or a combination of both. The ongoing investigation suggests that Yamakawa’s proceeds may have tallied into the millions of yen.
Criminal exploits plague Pokémon franchise
The Pokémon series has been susceptible to various criminal exploits in recent years, including high-profile burglaries and an audacious attempt to pilfer trading cards by scaling down a six-story building in Tokyo. Additionally, the franchise’s immense popularity spurred peculiar occurrences, like two Los Angeles police officers being dismissed for prioritising a pursuit of virtual creatures in the mobile game Pokémon Go over responding to a burglary call.
