&imwidth=800&imheight=600&format=webp&quality=medium "Massive Christmas bank heist in Germany: Thieves drill into vault, loot $35 million")
In western Germany, thieves took advantage of the Christmas lull to pull off a major heist at a retail bank. They drilled into a vault and emptied thousands of safe deposit boxes. Police say the haul is worth around 30 million euros (about $35 million) and includes valuables from customer deposit boxes. Here's what happened.
How did thieves carry out the heist?
The break-in happened at a branch of Sparkasse in the city of Gelsenkirchen. According to investigators, the suspects drilled through a thick concrete wall before gaining access to the vault. Once inside, they forced open several thousand customer deposit boxes, making off with cash, jewellery and other valuables. The total loss, police said, runs into the double-digit millions; estimates suggest loot was around 30 million euros (about $35 million).
The timing appears deliberate. In Germany, most banks and shops shut down over the Christmas period, starting on the evening of December 24. Due to this, the damage went unnoticed for days. Police were only alerted in the early hours of Monday, December 29, after a fire alarm went off inside the building.
"Let us in"
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By Tuesday morning, anger and frustration had spilt onto the street, reports CNN. Dozens of angry customers gathered outside the now-closed branch, chanting "Let us in!" and demanding answers. "I couldn't sleep last night. We're getting no information," one customer told broadcaster Welt. Another said that he stored cash and jewellery accumulated over decades in his looted deposit box.
Many said they had received little or no information about what had been taken or when they might be allowed access. The bank is yet to issue a statement.
What's happening now?
Police said witnesses reported seeing several men carrying large bags through the stairwell of a nearby parking garage late on Saturday night. There were also sightings of a black Audi RS6 leaving the garage early on Monday morning, with masked men inside. Investigators later confirmed the licence plate belonged to a car stolen in Hanover, more than 200 kilometres northeast of Gelsenkirchen.
Officers are now reviewing CCTV footage and appealing for further witnesses.
