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New Delhi: While Germany celebrated a quiet Christmas, a gang of professional thieves executed a cinematic "tunnel-style" robbery in the western city of Gelsenkirchen, vanishing with at least 10 million euros in cash and valuables, the police said in a statement.
The heist, which targeted a branch of the Sparkasse bank, has left thousands of customers in financial ruin and local authorities hunting for a high-powered getaway car.
Anatomy of the robbery
Taking advantage of the long holiday shutdown, where most German businesses close from the evening of December 24, the perpetrators operated with surgical precision, news agency Reuters reported.
According to the Reuters report, the thieves entered an adjacent parking garage and used heavy-duty equipment to drill through a massive, reinforced concrete wall directly into the bank’s vault.
Once inside, they systematically broke into several thousand safe deposit boxes. Initial estimates suggest a "double-digit million" loss, exceeding 10 million euros in gold, jewellery, and cash.
The crime went unnoticed until the early hours of Monday, December 29, when a fire alarm finally alerted police to the scene, according to the police statement.
Heartbreak at the gates
On Tuesday, the scene outside the bank was chaotic. Dozens of distraught customers gathered, demanding answers. For many, the deposit boxes held more than just jewellery; they held life savings.
One regular customer of 25 years told local media he had lost his entire retirement fund. "I couldn't sleep last night. We're getting no information," one man told the Welt broadcaster as he waited outside the branch. Others reported losing family heirlooms and cash savings meant for their children’s futures. The public frustration is mounting as Sparkasse officials have remained largely silent during the initial investigation.
Masked men and a stolen Audi
Police have gathered several critical leads linked to the incident. Bystanders spotted several men lugging heavy bags through the stairwell of the parking garage on Saturday night.
A black Audi RS 6 was seen speeding away from the garage on Monday morning. Investigators confirmed the car was fitted with stolen license plates from Hanover, a city over 200 kilometres away, suggesting a highly organised, multi-city criminal network.
