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.
Authorities believe the suspects used a 20kg drill with a synthetic diamond-coated crown — high-tech hardware needing constant cooling during use.
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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.
