Thieves used a drill to breach a Sparkasse vault over Christmas, looting 95% of customers\u2019 safety deposit boxes<\/p>\n
Thieves executed a meticulously planned heist, making off with\u00a0an estimated $35 million (approximately \u20ac30 million) in cash and personal valuables from a bank vault in Gelsenkirchen over the Christmas holidays, according to police.
\nThe break-in at a Sparkasse savings bank occurred sometime between Saturday evening and Monday morning. The thieves bypassed security by drilling through a thick concrete wall to access the vault, then forced open over 3,000 safety deposit boxes, impacting approximately 2,700 customers.
\nPolice discovered the scene in disarray only after a fire alarm sounded from the bank shortly before 4:00am on Monday.
\nInvestigators believe a specialized, industrial-grade drill was used in the operation. A police spokesperson described the heist as \u201cprofessionally executed.\u201d<\/p>\n
Nach einem spektakul\u00e4ren Bankeinbruch in Gelsenkirchen haben am Dienstag w\u00fctende Kunden die geschlossene Sparkassen-Filiale belagert. Unbekannte hatten in der Nacht auf Sonntag rund 30 Millionen Euro erbeutet. https:\/\/t.co\/ee6ywp00d8 pic.twitter.com\/nXu8YnGQqt\u2014 NIUS (@niusde_) December 30, 2025 <\/p>\n
Witnesses reported seeing several individuals carrying large bags through a nearby parking garage over the weekend, while security footage captured a black Audi RS 6 speeding away early Monday morning with masked occupants. The vehicle was confirmed as stolen from Hanover, approximately 200 kilometers away.<\/p>\n
Die bestohlenen Kunden der #Sparkasse Gelsenkirchen Buer f\u00fchren gerade vor wie ein #BankRun aussieht.Und die Sparkasse f\u00fchrt vor, wie #Verantwortungslosigkeit aussieht.Merke:Im Notfall l\u00e4sst eine Bank ihre Kunden einfach im Regen stehen. Das war 1929 so, das ist 2025 so. pic.twitter.com\/bbj6eMh5BO\u2014 Dr. David L\u00fctke (@DrLuetke) December 30, 2025 <\/p>\n
Customers arrived at the bank on Tuesday to find it sealed off. Hundreds gathered, demanding answers after Sparkasse confirmed that 95% of the safety deposit boxes had been breached.<\/p>\n
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Police estimate the damage to be \u201cin the two-digit million range,\u201d according to a statement released Tuesday. The contents of each deposit box are insured up to \u20ac10,300, suggesting a total loss of at least \u20ac30 million, according to local media. However, many customers fear this will be insufficient to cover their losses and are scrambling to assess their additional insurance coverage.
\nThe bank branch remains closed while police continue their investigation. Authorities have yet to make any arrests and the perpetrators remain at large.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Thieves used a drill to breach a Sparkasse vault over Christmas, looting 95% of customers\u2019 safety deposit boxes Thieves executed a meticulously planned heist, making off with\u00a0an estimated $35 million…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":25314,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"rop_custom_images_group":[],"rop_custom_messages_group":[],"rop_publish_now":"initial","rop_publish_now_accounts":[],"rop_publish_now_history":[],"rop_publish_now_status":"pending","footnotes":""},"categories":[4,6,3],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-25313","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-economy","category-environment","category-politics"],"aioseo_notices":[],"aioseo_head":"\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t