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Thieves Drill Into Gelsenkirchen Bank Vault, Looting Thousands of Safe‑Deposit Boxes

Investigators say the well‑planned break‑in left losses still unsettled, with valuations spanning €10 million to €90 million.

Overview

  • Police say the crew accessed the Sparkasse branch from an adjacent underground parking area and used an industrial drill to breach a vault wall.
  • Roughly 3,000 to 3,200 safe‑deposit boxes were forced open, affecting about 2,500 to 2,700 customers who stored cash, gold and jewelry.
  • A fire alarm shortly before 4 a.m. Monday brought firefighters and officers who found a hole in the wall and the ransacked safe‑deposit room.
  • Surveillance footage shows masked suspects and a black Audi with reportedly stolen Hannover plates leaving the garage; no arrests have been made.
  • Sparkasse has closed the branch for security and is coordinating compensation with insurers, noting standard coverage of about €10,300 per box.