Introduction
The spectacular robbery of a savings bank branch in Gelsenkirchen (North Rhine-Westphalia) continues to cause widespread concern. Unknown perpetrators gained access to the bank’s vault and stole cash and valuables with an estimated value of 30 million euros. Many elderly customers who kept their savings in safe deposit boxes are particularly affected.
This article explains clearly and concisely what happened, the risks involved, and what affected customers should do now.
What exactly happened?
According to the police, the perpetrators used a large drilling rig to break into the savings bank’s underground vault. There, they broke open more than 3,000 safe deposit boxes containing cash, gold, and jewelry.
A police spokesperson described the crime as “very professionally executed” and even drew a comparison to the well-known Hollywood film Ocean’s Eleven.
When and where did the robbery take place?
📍 Location: Sparkasse branch on Nienhofstraße, Buer district, Gelsenkirchen
🕒 Time: presumably during the quiet Christmas holidays
🚨 Discovery: In the early hours of Monday morning, after a fire alarm was triggered
According to initial investigations, the perpetrators gained access to the building via an adjacent parking garage – and used the same route to escape.
How did the perpetrators escape?
Witnesses reported seeing several men with large bags in the parking garage’s stairwell during the night.
Video footage also shows a black Audi RS6 leaving the parking garage early Monday morning.
So far:
❌ No arrests
❌ Perpetrators still at large
Why is this case particularly worrying for older people?
Many older people:
store savings for retirement
trust bank safe deposit boxes
assume maximum security
One affected customer told the media:
“I couldn’t sleep last night. These were my retirement savings.”
This robbery therefore has not only financial but also emotional consequences.
How high is the actual loss for individual customers?
The savings bank stated:
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