Pokémon Fan Says U.S. Customs Destroyed $4,000 Classic Game - Kotaku

The_Master_Of_Unlocking’s friend, Night Dive Studio CEO Stephen Kick, tweeted a picture showing the ruined Pokémon Yellow copyon January 19.

Information on why Customs would go to such lengths is murky, but according to the domestic and international vehicle shipping service Easy Haul, the purpose of an inspection by the governmental agency is to “prevent [the] export or import of contraband, counterfeited, improperly declared, prohibited, embargoed, or any other goods” that don’t meet U.S. Customs’ regulations.

Other than the possibility of a package containing some sort of illegal substance, it appears U.S. Customs doesn’t need to release a reason as to why an inspection was called in the first place.

In an email to Kotaku, The_Master_Of_Unlocking said he bought the copy of Pokémon Yellow from an independent seller in Canada who had the game graded previously.

The package even cleared U.S. Customs at the Louisville Muhammad Ali International Airport in Kentucky, but The_Master_Of_Unlocking discovered an item very different than what the original seller shared in pictures.

Then, I noticed the factory seal was no longer on the game and, more importantly, the front cover of the Pokémon Yellow box had been completely cut off!