Thieves exploited the Christmas holiday closure to drill into a German bank vault, stealing at least €10 million in cash and valuables from customers’ deposit boxes, police said.
Thieves used the quiet Christmas period to drill their way into the vault of a Sparkasse bank branch in the western German city of Gelsenkirchen, making off with money and valuables estimated in the double-digit millions of euros, police said on Tuesday.
According to police, the perpetrators drilled through a thick concrete wall before breaking into several thousand safe deposit boxes. Most shops and banks in Germany close from the evening of 24 December for the Christmas holidays.
The crime was discovered in the early hours of Monday, 29 December, after a fire alarm was triggered inside the building.
Dozens of angry customers gathered outside the bank branch on Tuesday, chanting “Let us in!” and demanding information.
“I couldn’t sleep last night. We’re getting no information,” one man told broadcaster Welt, saying he had stored his retirement savings in the deposit box for 25 years.
Another customer said he had kept cash and jewellery belonging to his family in the vault.
Police said witnesses reported seeing several men carrying large bags in the stairwell of a nearby car park on Saturday night.
There were also reports of a black Audi RS 6 leaving the car park early on Monday morning with masked men inside. Police said the vehicle’s licence plate matched that of a car reported stolen in Hanover, more than 200 kilometres north-east of Gelsenkirchen.
A spokesperson for Sparkasse Gelsenkirchen did not immediately respond to a request for comment. The investigation is ongoing.
Negotiations between the U.S. and Iran mediated by Qatar in Doha have concluded, Iran's Deputy Foreign Minister, Kazem Gharibabadi has said. ...
On 1 July, President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen arrived in Azerbaijan on a working visit....
China's Foreign Minister Wang Yi is visiting Denmark, Sweden, Finland and Norway this week in a landmark tour of the Nordic region that reflects Beiji...
Iranian and U.S. negotiating teams were due in Doha this week, but Iran said on Monday no meeting had been scheduled as weekend missile fire from both...
German prosecutors have arrested a German-Rwandan national on suspicion of aiding genocide and 25 counts of murder during the 1994 Rwandan genocide, a...
Negotiations between the U.S. and Iran mediated by Qatar in Doha have concluded, Iran's Deputy Foreign Minister, Kazem Gharibabadi has said.
On 1 July, President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen arrived in Azerbaijan on a working visit.
China's Foreign Minister Wang Yi is visiting Denmark, Sweden, Finland and Norway this week in a landmark tour of the Nordic region that reflects Beijing's efforts to strengthen ties with Europe at a time of growing geopolitical uncertainty.
German prosecutors have arrested a German-Rwandan national on suspicion of aiding genocide and 25 counts of murder during the 1994 Rwandan genocide, authorities said on Wednesday (1 July).
Iranian and U.S. negotiating teams were due in Doha this week, but Iran said on Monday no meeting had been scheduled as weekend missile fire from both sides tested the interim ceasefire to end the four-month-old war.
Negotiations between the U.S. and Iran mediated by Qatar in Doha have concluded, Iran's Deputy Foreign Minister, Kazem Gharibabadi has said.
The U.S. and Iran have agreed to 'stand down' and resume technical talks, allowing vessels allowed to move freely under the interim peace deal, a U.S. official said.
Mexico ended their 40-year wait for a World Cup knockout win, while Erling Haaland sent Norway through and Kylian Mbappé fired France into the last 16.
The wife and children of Argentine footballer Lucas Trejo were among around 1,700 people who died when two earthquakes struck northern Venezuela last week.
China's Foreign Minister Wang Yi is visiting Denmark, Sweden, Finland and Norway this week in a landmark tour of the Nordic region that reflects Beijing's efforts to strengthen ties with Europe at a time of growing geopolitical uncertainty.
South African police arrested more than 900 people during nationwide anti-migrant protests on Tuesday (30 June), as demonstrations across the country turned violent in some areas, although most remained peaceful.
German prosecutors have arrested a German-Rwandan national on suspicion of aiding genocide and 25 counts of murder during the 1994 Rwandan genocide, authorities said on Wednesday (1 July).
At least five people have died after a fire swept through a 10-storey apartment building in the Belgian city of Antwerp, authorities said on Wednesday.
Eight Kenyan schoolgirls have pleaded not guilty to murder charges over a dormitory fire that killed 16 fellow students and injured dozens more at a boarding school in the country's Rift Valley region.
You can download the AnewZ application from Play Store and the App Store.
What is your opinion on this topic?
Leave the first comment