Khaberni - Thieves took advantage of the quiet period during Christmas to execute a well-thought-out robbery on a "Sparkasse" bank branch in Gelsenkirchen, western Germany, where they dug a tunnel through a thick concrete wall to reach the main vault, stealing contents worth tens of millions of euros from thousands of customer safes.
Breach of concrete wall next to a garage
The German police announced on (Tuesday) evening that the perpetrators breached the concrete wall from a neighboring garage, then forcibly opened several thousand safe deposit boxes, laden with cash, jewelry, and valuable items.
More than 10 million euros stolen
According to local reports, the amount of the theft is estimated between 10 million euros and more, the crime was discovered after a fire alarm went off in the early morning hours, prompting the police to discover the large hole in the wall.
Christmas holiday in Germany
In Germany, most banks and shops close their doors from the evening of December 24 until the end of the holiday, giving the thieves sufficient time to complete the operation without disturbance.
Dozens of angry customers gathered in front of the branch on Tuesday, chanting "Let us in!" demanding information about their belongings.
Customer anger
One of the customers told "Welt" radio that he could not sleep the previous night due to anxiety, adding: "I have been using this safe for 25 years, and it contains my retirement savings," another mentioned that his safe contained cash and family jewelry.
No immediate comment was issued from a spokesman for Sparkasse bank in Gelsenkirchen in response to requests for comment.
Investigations continue
According to eyewitnesses, several men carrying large bags were seen in the garage staircase on Saturday night.
An Audi RS6 black car was also seen leaving the garage on Monday morning carrying masked men, and it turned out that the car's license plate was stolen from the city of Hanover, which is more than 200 kilometers northeast of Gelsenkirchen.
The police continue their investigations into this bold operation that appears to be carefully planned, amid fears of thousands of customers losing their personal savings.
