**Gelsenkirchen, Germany –** In a audacious heist executed during the festive lull of the Christmas holidays, thieves have made off with an estimated €30 million in cash, gold, and precious jewellery from a Sparkasse savings bank branch in Gelsenkirchen. The sophisticated operation, which saw over 3,000 safe deposit boxes systematically breached, was only brought to light in the early hours of Monday morning when a fire alarm was triggered, alerting authorities to the extensive damage.
The perpetrators are believed to have infiltrated the bank's underground vault between Saturday night and early Monday morning, a period typically characterised by reduced activity and heightened privacy. Their entry and subsequent escape were facilitated through an adjacent parking garage on De-La-Chevallerie-Strasse, a manoeuvre that allowed them to operate with a degree of anonymity. The sheer scale of the operation, involving the forceful opening of thousands of individual secure boxes, suggests meticulous planning and a considerable investment in specialised equipment, most notably a large drilling apparatus.
Police in Gelsenkirchen have described the break-in as "very professionally executed," drawing parallels to the elaborate schemes depicted in the Hollywood film "Ocean's Eleven." This sentiment underscores the level of skill and precision involved, leaving investigators with a formidable challenge. While the full extent of the stolen assets is still being meticulously catalogued by affected customers, initial estimates place the value at a staggering €30 million. The stolen items are understood to encompass not only substantial sums of currency but also significant quantities of gold and an array of valuable jewellery.
The discovery of the crime was precipitated by a fire alarm that sounded in the early hours of Monday. Upon arrival, emergency services and law enforcement officers were confronted with the grim reality of the vault's despoiled interior. Subsequent investigations, aided by CCTV footage, revealed a black Audi RS 6 vehicle being driven out of the aforementioned parking garage in the early hours of Monday. Furthermore, witnesses reported observing several men carrying large, heavy bags up the stairwell of the parking garage, a crucial detail that may provide vital clues in identifying the culprits.
The choice of the Christmas period was clearly a strategic one, capitalising on the "quiet Christmas days" to minimise the risk of detection. The thieves exploited the extended holiday period, when fewer people are typically present in and around the bank, to carry out their extensive operation. The Sparkasse branch, situated on Nienhofstrasse in the Buer district, has now become the focal point of a major criminal investigation.
As of this report, no arrests have been made, and the individuals responsible for this high-value larceny remain at large. The police are appealing to the public for any information that might assist in their ongoing enquiries. The incident serves as a stark reminder of the evolving tactics employed by sophisticated criminal organisations and the significant financial and emotional toll such crimes can inflict upon individuals and institutions alike. The investigation is ongoing, with authorities dedicating considerable resources to apprehending those responsible and recovering the stolen assets.