Unknown thieves drilled into the vault room of a Sparkasse branch in Gelsenkirchen's Buer district and ransacked numerous safe deposit boxes. Hundreds of worried customers gathered outside the closed branch, leading to emotional scenes. Police are investigating, as the bank informs affected customers about insurance coverage.
The break-in at the Sparkasse branch in Gelsenkirchen-Buer was discovered at night due to a fire alarm. Firefighters and police searched the building and found traces of the perpetrators: a large hole in the vault room, broken-open safe deposit boxes, and scattered documents. The burglars gained access via a parking garage, proceeded through doors to an archive room, and drilled through the wall to the vault using a special drill. "You can't get that drill at the hardware store," a police spokesman said.
Around 200 customers rushed to the branch for information. The mood was heated; police had to clear the foyer and make calming announcements. A crying woman told the dpa reporter: "Our family worked and saved for 40 years for that," as they had stored cash and gold in a safe deposit box. The Sparkasse insures each box basically with 10,300 euros; higher amounts are optional. A bank spokesman explained: "We want to support the customers with what documents they need to submit." The branch is set to reopen on Tuesday, after forensic work is completed.
Police have no hot leads but are evaluating data like vehicle movements. A neighbor heard two detonations that night. The burglary exploited the quiet of the Christmas holidays or weekend. Similar incidents occurred recently: In Lübeck, thieves looted over 300 boxes with damage exceeding 10 million euros; in Norderstedt, 650 boxes. Investigations into the damage amount continue, as the contents of the boxes are unknown.
