Pokémon card sale goes wrong; seller locked in cupboard

Two robbers locked a man up in a cupboard in his own home after a Pokémon card sale the victim had arranged turned sour. The incident happened on Wednesday afternoon at about 3 p.m. on the Kronkelwillg in Kampen, Overijssel, police said.

The victim had set up an appointment with one buyer. When the buyer arrived he came in the company of a second man. The victim agreed to let both men in, and after a short chat he showed them the cards he was selling.

"Then a situation arises in which the victim is lured away and then pushed into the cupboard and locked up," police said in a statement. "The two men saw an opportunity to flee the house with the cards."

Police were quickly notified and arrived on scene, freeing the victim. By that time the suspects were nowhere to be found. The two men had already fled with the Pokémon cards in a dark gray car, believed to be an Audi A3.

After speaking with the victim and local residents, authorities pieced together a description of the men. The first suspect was described as being approximately 30 years old, 1.8-meters tall with a darker skin tone and short frizzy hair, wearing a pure white coat and a face mask. His accomplice was also said to be in his early thirties, 1.9 meters in height with tanned skin and remarkably blue eyes. He was wearing a cap, a sporty outfit and a blue face mask.

Authorities were hopeful that members of the public might have seen two men matching the description in the darker Audi. "The police are interested in all information, such as the direction of travel. Any dashcam images are also of great importance," police said. They were also hopeful that witnesses, or anyone in the area with security camera footage would contact them immediately.