The bank robbery in Gelsenkirchen. Photo Polizei Gelsenkirchen / dpa / picture alliance.
In the western German city of Gelsenkirchen, a robbery occurred at a Sparkasse bank branch. The criminals created a passage through a concrete wall connecting the vault to the parking lot, according to DW, citing local law enforcement.
According to preliminary police data, several thousand safe deposit boxes were affected by the break-in, with damages estimated in the tens of millions of euros. Witnesses claim that on the evening of December 28, they saw suspicious men with large bags in the multi-story parking lot.
According to surveillance footage, on the morning of December 29, a black Audi RS 6 left the parking lot, containing masked perpetrators. The vehicle's license plate had been stolen in Hanover, and the police characterized the criminals' actions as "quite professional."
The dpa agency reports that about 3,200 safe deposit boxes were broken into, with money, gold, and jewelry stolen, amounting to approximately 30 million euros. An accurate assessment of the damages is difficult, as the contents of the boxes often remained unknown.
According to the Associated Press, the estimated damage assessed by the Gelsenkirchen police ranges from 10 to 90 million euros. This robbery is being called one of the largest in Germany's history.
At Sparkasse, it was noted that each safe deposit box was insured for up to 10,300 euros. However, on December 29 and 30, dissatisfied clients gathered outside the bank building, many of whom stated that their losses significantly exceeded the insurance payouts. In total, about 2,700 people were affected.
