Victims of a massive bank heist in Gelsenkirchen, Germany, have described their devastation after thieves ransacked almost 3,250 safety deposit boxes over the Christmas period. The raid, which police have likened to the Hollywood film Ocean's Eleven, is estimated to have netted up to €300 million (£260 million), making it one of the largest bank robberies in the country's history.
Faqir Malyar, a 67-year-old carpet trader, was among those affected. He had kept his life savings and family heirloom jewellery in a box at the Sparkasse savings bank. After waiting 45 minutes on a hotline, he learned that his box, number 1,413, had been emptied. 'I felt as numb as if I'd had an injection,' he said. Malyar fears his retirement plans are now in ruins.
Police believe the thieves carried out the heist over four hours on 27 December, gaining access to the bank through a manipulated emergency exit from an adjoining car park. They then used a 300kg drill to bore a hole into the vault wall. The crime was only discovered 48 hours later when a fire alarm was triggered. CCTV footage shows five to seven masked suspects leaving in a black Audi and a white Mercedes van with stolen number plates. They remain at large.
Angry customers have gathered outside the bank demanding answers about security measures. Insurance lawyer Jürgen Hennemann, who has represented victims of over two dozen bank robberies since 2012, criticised banks for failing to address security shortfalls despite warnings from organised crime. 'The attacks are getting more intense; the robberies are happening ever closer together,' he said.
Klaus Nachtigall, former head of Berlin's criminal police office, now a security consultant, said he was not surprised by the theft. 'There are now so many such cases, but the financial institutions don't seem to want to learn from them,' he told local media. The Sparkasse network, comprising 342 lenders serving 50 million customers, has defended its security measures, stating they meet 'recognised state-of-the-art standards'.
