Thieves Drill into German Bank Vault, Steal €30m in Cash & Gold in Massive Christmas Heist

By Michael Ehindero
German police have launched an intensive manhunt after one of the largest bank heists in Germany’s recent history, in which thieves drilled into the underground vault of a Sparkasse savings bank in Gelsenkirchen and stole cash, gold and jewellery estimated at about €30 million.

The carefully planned robbery occurred over the Christmas holiday in the Buer district of Gelsenkirchen, western Germany. Investigators believe the suspects took advantage of the prolonged holiday closure to access the vault unnoticed.

Police said the gang drilled through a thick concrete wall to enter the basement vault, where they systematically forced open thousands of customer safe deposit boxes and removed valuables worth tens of millions of euros.

Sparkasse confirmed that more than 3,000 boxes were smashed open, representing over 95 percent of the branch’s 3,250 deposit boxes, making the scale of the theft unprecedented for the bank.

Police said witnesses saw several men carrying large bags through the stairwell of a nearby parking garage late on Saturday night. A black Audi RS6 was also spotted leaving the garage early on Monday morning with masked occupants inside. Investigators later confirmed the vehicle’s licence plate belonged to a car stolen in Hanover, more than 200 kilometres northeast of Gelsenkirchen.


The crime was discovered early Monday after a fire alarm was triggered, leading officers to find a large hole in the vault wall. Authorities believe the suspects may have entered through a nearby parking garage and remained inside the building for several days before escaping undetected.


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