Overview
- Witnesses reported a blast around 2:45 a.m. at a Volksbank on Annenstraße in Witten, prompting a search with a police helicopter and an inspection by a structural engineer.
- It remains unclear whether cash was taken in Witten, and police are asking for tips via the Dortmund criminal watch at 0231/132-7441.
- In late December, burglars drilled into the vault at Sparkasse Gelsenkirchen-Buer and emptied about 3,100 safe‑deposit boxes, leaving roughly 500,000 items to catalog.
- Investigators are probing how security was bypassed in Gelsenkirchen, including a manipulated door from a parking garage and reportedly taped motion detectors, and whether the alarm system failed or was disabled.
- The Sparkasse has reopened its foyer and self-service area, while police and bank teams run evidence-processing lines expected to take months before identifiable property can be returned.