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Gelsenkirchen bank robbery
Masked thieves carried out a highly organised burglary at a Sparkasse branch in the Buer district of Gelsenkirchen over the quiet Christmas period.
“Thieves carried out a professional, “Hollywood-style” burglary at a Sparkasse branch in the Buer district of Gelsenkirchen, Germany, over the Christmas holidays, drilling a large circular hole through a thick concrete wall from an adjacent parking garage into the bank’s underground vault.”
They drilled from an adjacent underground parking garage into the bank's underground vault and forced open thousands of safe-deposit boxes.
Police and reporters say the break-in was discovered early Monday when a fire alarm was triggered.
Emergency crews found a large circular hole into the vault, debris and opened boxes scattered across the floor.
Authorities reported the haul at about €30 million in cash, gold and jewellery.
Footage and witness accounts show several masked men carrying large bags and a black Audi RS6 leaving the scene.
The car's plates had reportedly been stolen earlier in Hanover.
Safe-deposit box losses
Reports indicate thieves breached the vast majority of the branch's safe-deposit boxes.
Authorities and the bank said more than 3,000 boxes were forced open, roughly over 95% of about 3,250 boxes.
Initial loss estimates commonly cited are near €30 million.
Several outlets explain that the headline sum is based on average insured values per box, commonly cited at about €10,000.
Al Jazeera notes a much wider estimated range of €10 million to €90 million because some customers report far higher losses than insurance averages suggest.
Coverage of sophisticated raid
Multiple outlets and police described the operation as technically sophisticated and very professionally executed.
“police described the operation as “very professionally executed,” likening it to Ocean’s Eleven”
Some sources likened the raid to films; RTE.ie and several West Asian outlets explicitly compared it to Ocean's Eleven.
Others called it Hollywood-style or drew comparisons with Britain's Hatton Garden heist.
Investigators say the gang likely used heavy industrial equipment such as large drills and cooling systems.
They may have spent hours, or even the holiday period, inside the premises to force open the boxes.
Bank branch aftermath
In the immediate aftermath, hundreds of distressed customers gathered outside the closed branch demanding answers.
Sparkasse closed the branch and set up communication channels for affected depositors, warning that standard insured limits per safe-deposit box (often cited at around €10,300) may not cover all losses and advising customers to check other insurance.
Some outlets reported threats against staff and rising anger among customers as authorities continue to appeal for witnesses.
Police and media coverage
Investigations are ongoing and no arrests have been reported.
“No arrests have been made and the suspects remain at large; police say they likely used an adjacent parking garage to enter and exit after witnesses saw several men carrying large bags overnight from Saturday into Sunday.”
Police continue to analyse CCTV, vehicle movements and witness statements and have appealed for witnesses.
Reporting across outlets shows a consensus that the perpetrators remain at large and that police describe the raid as "very professionally executed."
However, there is variation in how outlets frame the story - tabloid coverage stresses technical minutiae and dramatic parallels to past robberies.
Mainstream outlets emphasise verified police statements and customer impact.
Some international outlets highlight uncertainty in the total value of the theft.