A 31-year-old Singaporean man was stopped at Changi Airport Terminal 4 on Nov 2 after officers found 105 assorted One Piece trading cards in his luggage, according to CNA. The collection was estimated to be worth about S$400,000, or roughly US$312,000.
The Immigration and Checkpoints Authority (ICA) disclosed the case in a Facebook post on Friday, Nov 6. Officers had directed the traveller to the baggage screening area and asked whether he had anything to declare. He said he was carrying two trading cards.
Why it matters
The seizure puts a spotlight on the growing value of collectible card games and the customs rules that apply to them. Trading cards can look like inexpensive paper goods, but rare pieces from established franchises now change hands for sums that rival luxury watches and jewellery. That makes them a category travellers may underestimate when deciding what to declare.
Under Singapore rules, arriving passengers must declare and pay duty and Goods and Services Tax on newly acquired items that go beyond the duty-free concession and GST import relief. ICA restated that reminder in the same post. Travellers who are unsure are told to use the Red Channel or approach the Singapore Customs tax payment office.
What officers found
Screening flagged irregularities in one of the man's bags, CNA reports. A closer inspection turned up the 105 One Piece cards along with a bracelet from a luxury brand. The case has been handed to Singapore Customs for further investigation.
The cards belong to the official trading card game tied to One Piece, the long-running Japanese manga and anime series. Certain cards from the game are known to sell for thousands of dollars each, which helps explain how a single bag could hold a collection valued in the hundreds of thousands.
This is not the first time card collections have drawn scrutiny at Changi. In October 2025, ICA officers discovered assorted Pokemon trading cards worth more than S$30,000 in the luggage of another Singaporean man at Terminal 1. Compared with that earlier find, the One Piece haul is more than ten times larger by estimated value.
The outcome for the traveller will depend on what Singapore Customs determines in its investigation. ICA has not said whether any charges have been filed.
Travellers carrying high-value collectibles should expect the same treatment as any other dutiable or taxable purchase: declare first, and let officers assess the goods.
