Thieves drill into German Bank vault, steal millions in holiday heist
Investigators believe the suspects used a powerful drill to penetrate the vault through the basement
Burglars made off with property worth tens of millions of euros after breaking into a bank vault in western Germany during the holiday period, authorities said.
Police said the thieves targeted safety deposit boxes at a Sparkasse bank branch in Gelsenkirchen, affecting around 2,700 customers. According to police spokesperson Thomas Nowaczyk, investigators estimate the total value of the stolen items at between 10 million and 90 million euros ($11.7 million to $105.7 million).
German news agency dpa described the incident as potentially one of the largest bank heists in the country's history. The bank remained closed yesterday (30 December) as tensions rose, with about 200 customers reportedly gathering at the branch demanding access.
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The crime came to light early Monday morning (29 December) after a fire alarm alerted police and firefighters shortly before 4am. Responders discovered a hole in the wall and found the vault heavily looted.
Investigators believe the suspects used a powerful drill to penetrate the vault through the basement.
Witnesses told police they had seen several individuals carrying large bags in a nearby parking garage over the weekend. Security footage from the garage reportedly shows masked suspects inside a stolen vehicle in the early hours of that day.
Gelsenkirchen is located about 192 kilometres northwest of Frankfurt.
