Taking advantage of the sparse crowds during the Christmas holiday, a group of thieves broke into a Sparkasse bank in Gelsenkirchen, western Germany. They drilled a large hole through the vault's thick concrete wall, forced open over 3,000 safe deposit boxes, and stole cash, gold, and jewelry.

Police estimated on 30/12 that the initial damage amounted to approximately 30 million euro (over 35 million USD), based on an average insurance value of 10,000 euro per box.

Most banks in Germany are closed for Christmas, starting from the evening of 24/12. The police only discovered the breach after a fire alarm sounded in the early morning of 29/12.

The hole drilled in the vault wall of the Sparkasse bank in Gelsenkirchen, Germany. *Photo: Reuters*

Witnesses reported seeing several men carrying large bags in the parking garage staircase on the night of 27/12.

Security camera footage reviewed by police showed an Audi RS 6 leaving the parking lot in the early morning of 29/12, with masked individuals inside. The license plate belonged to a vehicle stolen in Hannover, northern Germany, over 200 km from Gelsenkirchen.

Investigators concluded that this was a highly organized and professional theft, requiring meticulous planning and internal bank information.

Dozens of customers gathered outside the bank when authorities discovered the breach, demanding access. Some stated that the assets stored in their safe deposit boxes far exceeded the insurance value.

"I can't sleep. We didn't receive any information", one customer stated, adding that he had stored his retirement savings in a box. German media reported that many affected customers were of Turkish origin, who had stored gold and gold jewelry in their boxes.

Duc Trung (According to dpa, DW, Reuters)