Thieves carried out a massive holiday heist at a German bank, stealing valuables worth at least $36 million after breaking into a concrete vault and forcing open more than 3,000 safe deposit boxes, police said.
The robbery occurred over Christmas weekend at the Buer branch of Sparkasse Gelsenkirchen, in western Germany. Investigators said the perpetrators first broke through a door before drilling a large hole through the vault wall, using heavy equipment in what police described as a highly professional operation.
More than 95% of the bank’s safe deposit boxes were breached. While the insured value of the stolen items is estimated at €31 million ($36 million), officials warned the true losses could be far higher, as many customers may have stored valuables exceeding insurance limits.
Local police spokesman Thomas Nowaczyk called the heist “spectacular,” noting that the scale and execution suggested careful planning rather than a spontaneous crime. Authorities believe the operation took significant time and may have involved inside knowledge of the bank’s security.
The break-in was discovered after a fire alarm alerted emergency responders early Monday. In the days following, dozens of customers gathered outside the branch, many fearing the loss of family heirlooms and irreplaceable valuables.
Criminology experts said banks often face reduced security during holiday periods, making them more vulnerable to well-organized thefts of this scale.