German investigators are racing to unravel one of the country’s most audacious bank robberies in recent years after an organized gang breached a high-security vault in the western city of Gelsenkirchen, making off with an estimated €30 million in cash, gold, and valuables.
Police described the operation as exceptionally sophisticated, pointing to meticulous preparation, technical expertise, and apparent insider awareness.
The scale and precision of the burglary have raised concerns over vulnerabilities in private safe-deposit storage across the banking sector, reports dw.com
According to investigators, the perpetrators accessed the bank through an underground parking facility, where they drilled a large opening through reinforced walls to reach the vault.
Once inside, they systematically forced open more than 3,000 individual safe-deposit boxes before retracing their route and escaping undetected.
The crime was discovered only after a fire alarm was triggered in the early hours of Monday, prompting emergency services to respond. By the time authorities arrived, the burglars had vanished, leaving behind extensive structural damage and a vault stripped of its contents.
Initial loss estimates are based on the average insured value of approximately €10,000 per box, though investigators believe the true figure could be significantly higher.
Several affected customers have reportedly told police that the contents of their boxes far exceeded insured limits, particularly those storing gold bars and high-value jewelry.
Witnesses reported seeing multiple men carrying large bags through the parking garage stairwell during the night leading into Sunday. Surveillance footage reviewed by investigators allegedly shows a black Audi RS6 leaving the garage early Monday morning with masked occupants. Police confirmed that the vehicle’s license plates had been stolen earlier from the northern city of Hanover.
The aftermath of the heist sparked frustration and anxiety among customers, many of whom gathered outside the affected Sparkasse branch seeking answers. Local (German) media reported that a notable number of victims were of Turkish origin, a community in which storing gold in bank vaults is a common practice.
Authorities have urged customers not to file individual criminal complaints at this stage. Instead, the bank is collecting loss declarations and personal details, which are being forwarded to investigators on a daily basis to streamline the inquiry.
Police say the investigation is ongoing and spans multiple jurisdictions, with a focus on identifying the perpetrators’ logistics network, possible accomplices, and whether similar methods may have been used in previous crimes elsewhere in Europe.
