29.12.2025 19:49
A robbery reminiscent of a movie scene took place during the Christmas holiday in Germany. A bank in the city of Gelsenkirchen was robbed by thieves who drilled through the wall. It was reported that the thieves acted in a planned and professional manner.
In the city of Gelsenkirchen, located in the North Rhine-Westphalia state of Germany, unidentified thieves took advantage of the Christmas holiday to rob a bank and disappeared. It was learned that the thieves drilled through the wall with a drill to reach the bank's vault.
FROM THE TUNNEL TO THE BASEMENT, AND FROM THERE TO THE VAULTS
According to a statement made by the police, the thieves used a tunnel located in the lower level of a parking lot in the Buer district to reach the basement of the savings bank. After that, the suspects, who drilled through the wall, entered the area where personal belongings and savings were stored in vaults. The thieves opened the vaults and fled the scene with the stolen money.
IT BECAME APPARENT WHEN THE FIRE ALARM WENT OFF
The robbery was revealed when the fire alarm went off at the bank at 03:58 local time today. Firefighters who responded to the alarm reported the situation to the police. Upon investigation, it was determined that the thieves anticipated the alarm being triggered due to the heat and dust that could arise while drilling through the wall, and for this reason, they sprayed water.
POLICE BELIEVE THEY ARE PROFESSIONALS
The Gelsenkirchen police stated in a statement to the German press that they believe the thieves possess technical knowledge. The police noted that the drill bit used was not of the type that could be obtained from an ordinary hardware store, and they expressed that timing the robbery to coincide with the Christmas holiday indicated a planned organization.
THE AMOUNT OF STOLEN MONEY IS UNKNOWN
While it has not yet been determined how long the thieves stayed in the bank, it was reported that the amount of stolen money would become clear after detailed checks. The police have launched an investigation into the incident and requested that citizens with information contact the security forces.
In Germany, banks and official institutions were closed on December 24, 25, and 26 due to Christmas Eve and the holiday. With December 27 and 28 falling on the weekend, the Christmas holiday extended to a total of 5 days. The thieves took advantage of this holiday to carry out the robbery.