Major Heist at Sparkasse Branch in Gelsenkirchen Nets €30 Million in Cash, Gold, and Jewelry
Thieves used a large drill to break into a Sparkasse branch located on Nienhofstrasse in the Buer district of Gelsenkirchen. They gained access via an adjacent parking garage during the early hours of quiet Christmas days and stole an estimated €30 million in cash, gold, and jewelry.
More than 3,000 safe deposit boxes were opened, affecting 95% of the boxes. The contents of each compartment are insured up to €10,300. Police described the operation as very professionally executed but no arrests have been made, and the perpetrators remain at large.
Video footage captured a black Audi RS 6 leaving the garage, and witnesses observed men carrying large bags in the garage staircase. The hole to the underground vault was discovered after a fire alarm was triggered. The branch has since remained closed, and Sparkasse has established a hotline for customers affected by the theft.
