Victims of a massive bank heist in the German city of Gelsenkirchen have spoken of their devastation after thieves drilled into a savings bank vault and emptied almost 3,250 deposit boxes over the Christmas period. The robbery, which police have likened to the Hollywood film Ocean's Eleven, could be one of the biggest in German history, with estimates suggesting the haul could be worth up to €300 million (£260 million).
Faqir Malyar, a 67-year-old carpet trader, said he felt 'numb' after learning his deposit box was among those plundered. 'I hoped against hope that my deposit box wasn't one of those that had been plundered,' he said. The bank told him his box, number 1,413, had been emptied. Malyar had kept his savings and family heirloom jewellery in the box and now fears his retirement plans are in ruins.
Police believe the theft took place over four hours on 27 December. The suspects gained access to the bank through a manipulated emergency exit from an adjoining car park, then used a 300kg drill to bore a hole into the vault wall. The break-in was only discovered 48 hours later when a fire alarm was activated. CCTV footage shows five to seven masked suspects leaving in a black Audi and a white Mercedes van, both with stolen number plates. Three weeks on, they remain at large.
Insurance lawyer Jürgen Hennemann, who has represented victims of more than two dozen bank robberies since 2012, said banks had been warned repeatedly about security shortfalls but failed to act. 'The attacks are getting more and more intense; the robberies are happening ever closer together,' he said. Klaus Nachtigall, a former head of Berlin's criminal police, said the theft was preventable: 'If security systems are working, the alarm should sound at the first sign of a piece of debris falling out of the wall.'
Sparkasse Gelsenkirchen defended its security measures, stating that its technology 'meets recognised state-of-the-art standards'. However, customers have demanded answers about the bank's security and surveillance systems. Around 230 officers have been assigned to 'Operation Drill' to investigate the heist.
