In a meticulously orchestrated criminal operation reminiscent of a Hollywood thriller, professional thieves successfully infiltrated a German savings bank vault in Gelsenkirchen, making off with an estimated €30 million ($35 million) in cash, gold, and jewelry. The sophisticated heist, which unfolded over the weekend, represents one of Germany’s most substantial bank robberies in recent history.
According to police reports, the perpetrators utilized industrial drilling equipment to penetrate the underground vault room of the Sparkasse savings bank from an adjacent parking garage. Investigators believe the criminal team operated extensively throughout the weekend, systematically breaching more than 3,000 individual safe deposit boxes in what appears to have been a carefully planned operation.
The discovery occurred early Monday when emergency services responded to a triggered fire alarm and encountered the breach point. Witness accounts describe observing several individuals carrying large bags through the parking garage stairwell during the Saturday-to-Sunday overnight period. Security footage captured a black Audi RS 6, containing masked occupants, exiting the garage in the early hours of Monday morning. The vehicle’s license plate had been previously reported stolen in Hanover.
A police spokesperson characterized the operation as ‘exceptionally professionally executed,’ drawing parallels to the precision depicted in the film ‘Ocean’s Eleven.’ The official noted that the complexity of the breach indicated either extensive prior knowledge of the bank’s security systems or significant criminal resources dedicated to planning the operation.
The aftermath has left hundreds of distressed bank customers gathering outside the branch seeking information about their potentially lost assets. Many victims have reported that their actual losses substantially exceed the insured value of their deposit boxes, which averaged approximately €10,000 per box according to insurance assessments. The bank branch remained closed for security reasons following threats made against employees, with police maintaining presence to monitor the situation which has reportedly stabilized since initial concerns.