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Gelsenkirchen Sparkasse Heist: Self-Service Reopens as Police Detail Sophisticated Break-In

A 230-officer task force faces months of cataloguing plus extensive data analysis after thieves drilled into the vault.

Overview

  • The bank has reopened its foyer for self-service from 6 a.m. to 11 p.m., while the main branch and safe-deposit areas remain closed under police control with added security on site.
  • Investigators report entry via a manipulated escape door from an adjacent car park, taped motion sensors, swapped locks, and a water-cooled core drill supplied by a hose run from the women's restroom.
  • Police place the looting between 10:45 and 14:44 on December 27, with nearly all of roughly 3,200–3,250 safe-deposit boxes forced open and about 500,000 items left scattered.
  • Counter-forensic tactics included chemical contamination and reportedly planted hairs, while the probe now involves roughly 10,000 hours of video and 8 terabytes of data with no arrests announced.
  • Standard coverage per box was about €10,300, prompting mass legal action from victims as damage estimates range from the mid–tens of millions to potentially in the hundreds of millions of euros.