German Bank Robbed Over Holidays, €30 Million Missing

Robbers carried out a daring heist at a Sparkasse savings bank branch in Gelsenkirchen, Germany, during the extended Christmas break, stealing cash, gold and jewellery worth an estimated €30 million, police said.

Witnesses told investigators they saw several men carrying large bags through the bank’s parking garage on the nights of Saturday and Sunday, raising suspicions even before authorities discovered the break-in.

The gang drilled its way into the German bank’s underground vault from the parking garage, using heavy equipment to access around 3,000 safe deposit boxes, police said. Security footage later showed a black Audi RS 6 leaving the garage early Monday morning with masked individuals inside.

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Robbers drill into Sparkasse vault during Christmas break, fleeing with €30 million in cash, gold, and jewellery while authorities investigate.

Germany’s Christmas shutdown, which begins on the evening of December 24, helped the robbers execute the plan. With banks and shops closed on Thursday and Friday, police believe the suspects may have spent several days inside the premises drilling into the vault undetected.

Emergency services discovered the robbery after a fire alarm went off early Monday, December 29. Police arrived to find the vault breached and the safe deposit boxes emptied.

Hundreds of customers gathered outside the branch on Tuesday after the bank remained closed for security reasons following threats against employees. Many customers told police that the value of their losses exceeded the insured limits of their safe deposits.

A police spokesperson described the break-in as highly professional, comparing it to the Hollywood film Ocean’s Eleven. German Authorities said the situation later stabilised and that investigators continued to monitor developments.

Police estimated the losses at around €30 million, noting that the stolen boxes carried an average insured value of more than €10,000 each.

The bank set up a customer hotline and began contacting affected clients. “We are shocked,” said Frank Krallmann, the bank’s press spokesperson.

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