Hückelhoven - A family from Hückelhoven contacted a pest controller online on June 7 (Friday) because the cats had brought fleas into the home and there was no other way to control the pests. The man on the other end of the line pretended to be an employee of a contracting company and an on-site appointment was arranged, during which it was agreed that a gas would be used. According to the pest controller, the gas would dissipate after a few hours and the family would be put up in a hotel room until then. The father of the family was asked to pay the excessive four-figure price in cash and by EC card reader, which he did after the alleged pest controller had carried out the work and presented him with an invoice.
On the morning of June 8, the man returned to his apartment and found a white powder in every room. He then aired out the rooms and his wife complained to the company that they had apparently used a powder to combat the fleas, contrary to the agreement.
For this reason and also because of the excessive invoice amount, the family filed a criminal complaint on June 12 (Wednesday).
During an investigation by the police in the apartment, the white powder was found on June 14. As the police officer involved did not know what kind of powder it was and whether it was hazardous to health, he called the fire department to be on the safe side. They asked the father of the family to provide them with the chemicals listed on the invoice for inspection. An inquiry with the pest control association revealed that the powder used according to the invoice should not have been used in homes as it was hazardous to health.
In order not to further endanger the other residents of the house on Lambertusstraße, they were asked to leave the house while the fire department took samples, which are now being analyzed. After the analysis and subsequent cleaning of the house, all residents were allowed to return to their homes.
The police are now looking for witnesses who saw the pest controller or his vehicle to clarify the matter. The man was about 180 centimetres tall, Arabic or Turkish in appearance and of normal build. He had short dark hair and a full beard. He was driving a white car that looked like a Renault Kangoo. There was another male person in the vehicle who also appeared to be Arabic. Who saw the vehicle or the persons on June 7 (Friday) and can provide information? Information can be obtained from the criminal investigation department of the police in Hückelhoven on 02452 920 0. You can also provide information via the Heinsberg police website or via the direct link: https://polizei.nrw/artikel/anzeige-hinweis.