German thieves steal up to $105 million in elaborate heist

Gelsenkirchen Bank Robbery: Thieves Make Off with Estimated $105 Billion Worth of Stolen Goods

A group of robbers broke into a Sparkasse bank branch in Gelsenkirchen, North Rhine-Westphalia state, Germany, during the Christmas holiday. According to police, the thieves gained access to an underground vault room and forced open over 3,000 safe deposit boxes, making off with cash, gold, and jewelry.

The German news agency dpa reported that the estimated value of the stolen items is between $11.8 million and $105.7 million. The average insured value of each deposit box was more than $11,700, but several victims have reported that the contents of their boxes were worth significantly more.

Police say they were alerted to the robbery when a fire alarm went off on Monday, but the exact time of the break-in is still unknown. Investigators estimate that the total value of the stolen items could be among the largest thefts in German history.

Security camera footage showed a black Audi RS 6 leaving the bank’s parking garage during the early hours of Monday, with masked people inside. The police have not confirmed any arrests and are still searching for the thieves.

Customers who had their safe deposit boxes broken into are furious about the robbery and are demanding answers from the bank. The bank branch remains closed for security reasons after threats were made against bank employees. The bank is writing to notify all customers affected by the robbery and has set up a customer hotline for those affected.

In related news, a gang of robbers broke into the Louvre Museum in Paris earlier this year, stealing eight Napoleonic pieces of jewelry worth an estimated $102 million. French authorities have arrested eight suspects over the heist.

Source: Al Jazeera