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Gelsenkirchen Vault Heist: Police Publish Images as Loss May Exceed €100 Million

Official loss estimates remain uncertain despite reports pointing to far higher sums.

Overview

  • Surveillance photos show three masked suspects in a neighboring parking garage on December 29, including two with red or green gloves, and two vehicles: a black Audi RS6 and a white Mercedes Citan with falsified plates.
  • Police cite a provisional loss in the mid double-digit millions, while dpa reports from security circles suggest the total could surpass €100 million based on customer claims of over €500,000 per box.
  • Intruders core-drilled from an archive into the vault and opened nearly all of the roughly 3,250 safe-deposit boxes, with the break-in discovered early Monday after a fire-alarm alert.
  • The branch remains closed as specialists seal damage and staff catalog remaining items under notarial supervision; the bank is contacting clients for inventories and proof of contents.
  • Standard insurance coverage is about €10,300 per box, leaving many victims facing documentation hurdles, as investigators pursue leads without reported arrests and media note questions over the origin of unusually large cash holdings.