In one of Germany’s most jaw-dropping Christmas crimes, daring thieves drilled right through a bank vault and made off with a staggering £30 million in gold, cash, and valuables — and no one noticed for days.
Ocean’s Eleven-Style Raid Shocks Gelsenkirchen
The brazen gang targeted the Sparkasse bank in Buer, a suburb of Gelsenkirchen. Using a car park entrance, they smashed through multiple doors before unleashing a 42cm-thick drill to punch through an 18-inch concrete vault wall.
Inside, the robbers emptied most of the 3,300 safety deposit boxes belonging to 2,700 customers. Police described the operation as “exceptionally spectacular” and “like something from TV,” with a special task force dubbed ‘Core Drill’ now hunting the culprits.
£30 Million in Loot and Hundreds of Victims
The haul included gold, cash, jewellery, and personal belongings worth around £30 million. At least 2,500 Sparkasse customers were hit, with officials warning them to assume their possessions have been stolen.
Witnesses reported seeing several men carrying large bags through a car park stairwell before escaping in a black Audi RS6 with a stolen Hanover licence plate.
Angry Customers Demand Answers
On Tuesday, furious customers gathered outside the closed branch, chanting “We want in!” and confronting police. Many lamented losing life savings, gold saved for weddings, holidays, and grandchildren’s futures.
“It’s all gone,” said one devastated customer who had just put money into a safe deposit box before going on holiday.
“Where’s the security? I’m a blue-collar worker, and all my savings have vanished,” another added.
Many blasted the bank’s security, noting that even supermarkets like Lidl and Aldi use motion detectors — yet the Sparkasse vault was breached undetected.
Police Probe Underway, Questions Remain
The exact timing of the break-in is still unclear. Police only discovered the mess after responding to a fire alarm shortly before 3:40am on December 27. Shockingly, no visible damage was reported at the scene then.
Authorities believe the suspects used a 20kg drill with a synthetic diamond-coated crown — high-tech hardware needing constant cooling during use.
A police spokesman told Bild: “Behind this spectacular crime lie many individual tragedies.”
Sparkasse is urging customers to avoid the branch while it works with insurers. The investigation continues as police appeal for witnesses to come forward.
