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Police Raid Gelsenkirchen Sparkasse to Seize Data After Vault Heist

The court-ordered search seeks records to clarify how the vault was breached, with scrutiny on access controls.

Overview

  • Officers executed a judge-approved search of the Buer branch to secure data carriers and customer records; authorities said there is no specific suspicion against the bank and no hot lead to the culprits yet.
  • The branch remains closed and the vault is sealed, with more than 1,500 customers in contact as the standard €10,300 per box insurance cap and a limited number of higher policies come under review.
  • Police maintain an official loss estimate in the mid double-digit millions of euros, while some media and security sources report investigators consider a haul above €100 million possible.
  • Investigators are examining potential insider knowledge and access pathways, including garage entry systems and whether chips or a code card were used, as well as analyzing getaway vehicle clues and recovered license plates near Dortmund Hauptbahnhof.
  • Political and legal pressure is building, with a special session of the NRW Landtag’s interior committee scheduled next week and multiple law firms preparing coordinated civil claims over alleged security and disclosure failures.