Ocean’s Eleven-style vault heist in Germany: Robbers drill into Sparkasse, loot €30 million in cash, gold and jewellery

30 million euro vault raid

• Robbers stole €30 million in cash, gold, and jewellery from a German bank vault
• Thieves drilled from a garage, breaking into 3,000+ safe deposit boxes.
• Bank closed after threats; police deployed as customers gather outside

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Robbers drilled into the underground vault of a German savings bank and stole cash, gold and jewellery worth an estimated €30 million, police said on Tuesday.

The heist happened in Gelsenkirchen, in western Germany, where thieves broke open more than 3,000 safe deposit boxes at a Sparkasse branch before escaping, news agency AFP reported.

How they got in: Through a parking garage wall

Police said the suspects accessed the vault room by drilling through from an adjacent parking garage. Investigators believe the group spent much of the weekend inside the bank, working methodically through the boxes.

The burglary came to light early Monday after a fire alarm was triggered. Emergency services responded and found a large hole that led into the vault.

What investigators say they saw

Witnesses told police they saw several men carrying large bags in the parking garage stairwell between Saturday night and Sunday morning.

Security camera footage later showed a black Audi RS 6 leaving the garage early on Monday, with masked individuals inside. Investigators said the vehicle’s licence plate had been stolen earlier from Hanover.

“Very professionally executed,” police say

Calling the operation highly organised, a police spokesman told AFP the break-in was “very professionally executed,” comparing it to the Hollywood heist film Ocean’s Eleven. The spokesman said the crime appeared to involve extensive planning and significant criminal expertise.

Customers panic, branch shut after threats

Police estimated losses using an average insured value of €10,000 per safe deposit box, but noted that several victims reported losses far exceeding their insurance coverage.

On Tuesday, hundreds of distressed customers gathered outside the branch looking for information. The bank remained closed for security reasons after threats were made against staff, and police were deployed to keep the crowd at a distance.

“We are still on site and monitoring the situation,” the spokesman said, adding that conditions had “calmed down considerably.”