German authorities are investigating one of the most audacious bank robberies in the nation's history, which saw thieves steal an estimated £30 million in gold, cash, and jewellery from a vault over the Christmas holidays.
A Heist Fit for Hollywood
The sophisticated raid targeted a Sparkasse bank branch in Buer, a suburb of Gelsenkirchen. Police have compared the operation's complexity to scenes from the movie Ocean's Eleven. The criminals gained access through a connected car park, forced open several secured doors, and used a powerful industrial drill to bore through the vault's reinforced concrete wall.
Investigators revealed the drill measured about 42 centimetres and was capable of penetrating an 18-inch-thick barrier. They believe the tool was a 20kg industrial drill fitted with a synthetic diamond-coated crown, which would have required a cooling system during the lengthy operation.
The Scale of the Loss
Once inside the underground vault, the robbers spent hours emptying the contents of approximately 3,300 safety deposit boxes rented by around 2,700 customers. The stolen valuables included gold bars, cash, jewellery, and other precious items.
Bank officials have advised all customers to assume their boxes were compromised, with at least 2,500 individuals believed to be affected. Each box was insured for just under £9,000, meaning total insurance claims could reach the full £30 million estimate.
"This is an exceptionally spectacular case, the kind you usually see on TV," police spokesman Thomas Nowaczyk told Bild newspaper. "Behind it lie many individual tragedies."
Discovery and Aftermath
The crime went unnoticed for days. Police only discovered the full scale of the burglary early on Monday morning, shortly before 3:40am, after responding to a fire alarm at the bank. Inside, officers found thousands of ransacked cash boxes, scattered documents, smashed valuables, and the massive drill left behind.
Witnesses reported seeing several men carrying large bags through the car park stairwell on Saturday night before driving off in a black Audi RS6 fitted with stolen Hanover licence plates.
The timing remains unclear. Officers who responded to an earlier fire alarm on December 27 had reported no visible damage at the time, suggesting the heist occurred afterwards.
News of the robbery sparked outrage among customers. Dozens gathered outside the closed bank branch on Tuesday, chanting, "We want in! We want in!" Some angry customers reportedly tried to confront police officers at the scene.
Several affected customers described devastating losses. "It's all gone," one customer told WELT TV. Another said, "Where is the security here? I deposited all my savings here. I'm a blue-collar worker. It's all gone." Others questioned the bank's security measures, noting that even supermarkets have motion detectors.
A specialised police task force named "Core Drill" has been established to track down the suspects. Authorities believe at least two or three people were involved and have appealed for witnesses to come forward.
Sparkasse confirmed the branch remains closed due to "extensive structural damage" and said affected customers would be contacted directly. In a statement, the bank warned: "The likelihood that your box has also been affected is very high. Unfortunately, you must assume that your box has also been broken into."
