Thieves broke into a German bank vault over the holiday period and stole property valued at tens of millions of euros, according to police reports. The theft affected around 2,700 bank customers in Gelsenkirchen, a city located approximately 190 kilometers northwest of Frankfurt. More than 95 percent of the bank’s inventory, consisting of about 3,000 safety deposit boxes, was compromised.
Police spokesperson Thomas Nowaczyk estimated the stolen goods to be valued between 10 million and 90 million euros ($16 million to $144.8 million Cdn). Media reports suggest that this could be one of the largest thefts in Germany.
The bank remained closed the following day, with around 200 individuals attempting to access it, as reported by dpa news agency. Each safety deposit box is insured for 10,300 euros ($16,575 Cdn) unless customers opt for additional private insurance, as stated on the Sparkasse bank’s website.
Authorities were alerted to the incident by a fire alarm that went off just before 4 a.m. on Monday, leading police and firefighters to discover a hole in the wall and the vault in disarray. Investigators believe that the thieves used a large drill to breach the vault’s basement wall.
Witnesses reported seeing several individuals carrying large bags in a nearby parking garage over the weekend. Video footage from the garage showed masked individuals inside a stolen vehicle early on Monday. Additionally, the fire alarm had been activated on Saturday, although no damage was found on that occasion.