As reported by BBC, the suspects used a large industrial drill to break into a vault at a high street branch of Sparkasse in the city of Gelsenkirchen. The thieves forced open more than 3,000 safe deposit boxes containing cash, gold and jewellery.
A police spokesman compared the operation to the Hollywood heist movie Ocean’s Eleven, describing it as “very professionally executed” in comments to AFP.
Police said they became aware of the crime in the early hours of Monday when a fire alarm was triggered inside the bank branch on Nienhofstrasse in the Buer district. Investigators believe the thieves took advantage of the quiet Christmas period to access the building, later escaping through an adjacent parking garage.
Witnesses reported seeing several men carrying large bags in the garage stairwell overnight from Saturday into Sunday. Video footage reviewed by police reportedly shows a black Audi RS 6 leaving the garage on De La Chevallerie Strasse early on Monday morning.
The hole leading into the underground vault was discovered after emergency services searched the premises following the alarm. No arrests have been made so far, and the suspects remain at large.
Sparkasse said around 95 percent of the safe deposit boxes were forced open, meaning the likelihood of customers being affected is “very high.” The bank has asked affected customers to contact a dedicated hotline and confirmed the branch would remain closed on Tuesday.
The bank also stated that the contents of each safe deposit box are insured up to €10,300, advising customers to check whether they have additional coverage through their home insurance policies.
