Thieves Drill Into German Bank, Steal €30m

Thieves have carried out a daring bank heist in western Germany, stealing an estimated €30 million in cash and valuables from a Sparkasse savings bank branch in Gelsenkirchen.

German police said the suspects used a large industrial drill to break into an underground vault, forcing open more than 3,000 safe deposit boxes containing money, gold and jewellery. A police spokesperson described the operation as “very professionally executed,” likening it to a Hollywood-style heist.

The crime was discovered in the early hours of Monday after a fire alarm was triggered at the bank’s Nienhofstrasse branch in the Buer district. Investigators believed the thieves took advantage of the quiet Christmas period, gaining access to the bank and escaping through an adjacent parking garage.

Witnesses reported seeing several men carrying large bags in the garage staircase overnight from Saturday into Sunday. Police also confirmed that CCTV footage captured a black Audi RS 6 leaving the garage early on Monday morning.

No arrests have been made so far, and the suspects remained at large.

Sparkasse bank said about 95 per cent of customers’ safe deposit boxes were forced open, warning that the likelihood of customers being affected was “very high.” The bank has set up a hotline for affected customers and confirmed that contents of each safe deposit box are insured up to €10,300, advising customers to check for additional coverage under their home insurance policies.

The affected branch remained closed as investigations continued.