Robbers break into German bank safe, steal 10 million Euros. Photo-Gelsenkirchen Police
Reuters, Berlin. Thieves took advantage of the Christmas holiday in Germany to steal at least 10 million euros worth of cash and valuables from a bank. Criminals drilled through a thick concrete wall at the Sparkasse Bank branch in Gelsenkirchen and then stole funds from thousands of safe deposit boxes, police said on Tuesday.
It is noteworthy that most of the shops and banks in Germany are closed from the evening of 24th December before Christmas. Police discovered the theft on December 29. On Tuesday, many angry customers gathered in front of the bank and raised slogans.
According to news agency AFP, the theft took place in the western city of Gelsenkirchen, where the thieves managed to break into more than 3,000 safes at the Sparkasse branch and escape.
Police said the suspects entered the underground vault chamber by drilling through a nearby parking garage and are believed to have spent much of the weekend inside the bank, where they systematically broke into the safes.
The theft was discovered after a fire alarm was triggered early on Monday, prompting emergency services to launch an investigation and discover a large hole leading into the safe. Witnesses told police they saw several people carrying large bags on the stairs of the parking garage between Saturday night and Sunday morning.
Security camera footage later showed a black Audi RS 6 leaving the garage early Monday morning, carrying masked men. Investigators said the car's number plate had previously been stolen from the city of Hanover.
A police spokesman told AFP that the theft was "extremely professionally executed", describing the operation as extremely well-planned, which he compared to the Hollywood film 'Ocean's Eleven'. He said the crime appeared to involve extensive planning and significant criminal expertise.