Thieves in Germany Pull Off Movie-Like Bank Heist
A police photo of the hole in the vault room. (Gelsenkirchen police)
Thieves in western Germany have carried out a daring bank heist reminiscent of a Hollywood thriller. Police in the city of Gelsenkirchen say the suspects tunneled from a neighboring parking garage into the underground vault of a Sparkasse savings bank, breaking into more than 3,000 safe-deposit boxes and stealing an estimated $35 million in cash, gold, and jewelry, according to AFP.
Investigators believe the gang spent much of the weekend inside the vault gathering valuables. The crime was not discovered until early Monday morning.
Witnesses reported seeing several men carrying large bags through the parking garage stairwell between Saturday night and Sunday. Security footage later showed a black Audi RS 6 leaving the garage early Monday with masked occupants inside, Germany’s DW.com reported. The vehicle was using license plates taken from a stolen car.
A police spokesperson described the break-in as highly sophisticated, likening it to a plot from the Ocean’s Eleven films, though observers note it more closely resembles the 2008 movie The Bank Job.
“This must have required extensive advance knowledge and a significant level of criminal energy to plan and execute,” the spokesperson said.
Outside the bank on Tuesday, hundreds of worried customers gathered as the scale of the theft became clear. According to the BBC, nearly every safe-deposit box was emptied. The suspects remain at large, and none of the stolen items have been recovered.
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