Germany: Gelsenkirchen bank thieves used 'manipulated' door
dw.com • • world
Key Points:
- Thieves drilled a 40-centimeter hole into the vault of a Sparkasse bank in Gelsenkirchen, accessing nearly all 3,256 safety deposit boxes without triggering alarms, and remained undetected for two days over Christmas.
- Police revealed the criminals manipulated an emergency exit from the parking area, which should not have been openable, allowing unhindered access to the bank building; investigations are ongoing regarding possible inside assistance.
- The thieves were inside the vault for at least four hours on December 27, with entry logs showing activity between 10:45 a.m. and 2:44 p.m., but the full extent of the breach remains unclear.
- The crime scene is heavily contaminated with discarded items and chemical fluids used to
