Overview
- Police and prosecutors searched the Gelsenkirchen-Buer branch to secure missing data after Interior Minister Herbert Reul said the bank hindered the investigation by not providing key information.
- Thieves entered from a parking facility through a manipulated escape door, drilled through an archive wall into the vault, and the break-in was revealed only when a fire alarm went off.
- Security specialists say the site lacked core-drill protection and likely vibration sensors that would have detected prolonged drilling, and they note such measures can be retrofitted.
- The Sparkasse insists the facility met accepted technical standards and says it is cooperating, a stance disputed by officials who criticized delays in obtaining video and lists.
- At least 250 victims have retained lawyers planning suits for full reimbursement, with the first case expected next week in Essen, as estimates of the haul hover around €30 million and no arrests have been announced.