In a meticulously planned operation during Germany’s Christmas shutdown, sophisticated thieves executed a major heist at a Sparkasse bank branch in Gelsenkirchen, making off with valuables estimated at over €10 million from customer safe deposit boxes.
Police authorities revealed on Tuesday that perpetrators exploited the holiday closure period—when most German businesses and banks suspend operations from December 24—to breach the bank’s security. Using specialized equipment, the criminals drilled through substantial concrete walls to access the vault area, subsequently compromising thousands of individual deposit boxes.
The discovery was made only after a fire alarm triggered in the early hours of December 29, prompting police response that revealed the extensive breach. Dozens of distressed customers gathered outside the bank demanding access and information about their potentially lost assets.
One long-term customer, interviewed by Welt broadcaster, expressed profound anxiety: ‘I haven’t slept all night. We’re receiving zero information.’ He revealed his deposit box contained lifelong savings intended for retirement. Another victim confirmed storing family jewelry and cash in his compromised box.
Investigators have collected witness accounts describing several individuals carrying large bags in an adjacent parking garage stairwell on Saturday evening. Additional reports indicate a black Audi RS 6 with masked occupants was seen departing the garage early Monday morning. The vehicle displayed license plates from a car reportedly stolen in Hanover, located approximately 200 kilometers northeast of the crime scene.
Bank representatives from Sparkasse Gelsenkirchen have not yet provided official comments regarding the security breach or the status of affected customers’ assets. The investigation continues as authorities pursue multiple leads regarding the perpetrators and the recovered stolen vehicle.