02.01.2026 23:45
In the bank robbery in Gelsenkirchen, Germany, where the majority of the customers are Turkish, it has been learned that the value of the stolen valuables is not initially estimated at 30 million euros, but rather at over 100 million euros.
In the large bank robbery that took place during the Christmas holiday in Gelsenkirchen, Germany, the total value of the money and valuables stolen by the thieves has exceeded 100 million euros, contrary to initial estimates of 30 million euros. The robbery is still being investigated by the police with a special unit.
THE BANK ROBBERY IN GERMANY EXCEEDS 100 MILLION EUROS
In the robbery that occurred during the Christmas holiday in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany, it has been revealed that the total value of the money and valuables stolen by the thieves is more than 100 million euros, contrary to initial findings of 30 million euros. The German police have established a special unit to clarify the robbery, which has entered its first week, and to catch the perpetrators.
The balance has increased in the bank robbery that resembles a movie, as thieves took advantage of the 5-day Christmas holiday in Germany. It has been revealed that the material value of the money and valuables stolen from the Sparkasse bank located in Gelsenkirchen, North Rhine-Westphalia, is more than 100 million euros, contrary to initial estimates of 30 million euros. Reports in the German press stated that when the thieves opened 3,250 safes belonging to 2,500 customers using a special drill, they found more money, gold, jewelry, special valuables, and stocks than they expected.
MAJORITY OF VICTIMS ARE TURKISH CUSTOMERS
Information regarding the owners of the money and valuables stolen from the Sparkasse bank has started to become clear. It is stated that the number of Turks who had accounts at the bank and whose valuables in personal safes were stolen is between 100 and 150, while it was noted that there are more than a thousand members in the common WhatsApp group established by the victimized Turks. Additionally, it was mentioned that the victims are predominantly from the immigrant community in the city.
A SPECIAL UNIT HAS BEEN ESTABLISHED
While customers continue to anxiously wait, the police took a significant step in the investigation of the robbery. As the robbery entered its first week, the Gelsenkirchen police established a special unit. The unit, defined as a Special Task Force, consists of police experts in bank robberies and theft cases. The unit will conduct a comprehensive investigation, taking into account all incoming reports and will utilize other experts if necessary. It has been reported that security camera footage from before and after the bank robbery is being examined and investigations regarding the vehicles used by the perpetrators are ongoing. The police also stated that no concrete results have been reached so far following the reports made.
A police spokesperson described the bank robbery as "a long-planned operation," stating that the special drill used to penetrate the walls was not left behind by the thieves and was taken away. The police spokesperson also noted that no suspects have been detained so far.
A ROBBERY THAT RIVALS MOVIES
According to a statement from the Gelsenkirchen Police, unidentified individuals took advantage of the calmness of the Christmas holiday to carry out a large-scale robbery at a bank in the Buer district of Gelsenkirchen. According to the police, the thieves used a tunnel beneath a parking lot to reach the basement of the savings bank, and then drilled through the walls to access the area where the safes were located. The thieves opened the safes, which contained personal belongings and savings, and escaped with the stolen money.
The police were alerted to the theft when firefighters, responding to a fire alarm that went off at 03:58 local time on December 29, Monday, informed them. It was noted that the professional thieves, while reaching the bank's safe, thought that the heat and dust generated during the wall drilling process could trigger the fire alarm, so they initiated a water spraying operation. A spokesperson for the Gelsenkirchen Police stated in an interview with the German press that they assumed the thieves had technical knowledge, that the drill bit used was not the type that could be obtained from a hardware store, and that the timing of the theft coinciding with the Christmas holiday indicated a planned robbery. The duration of the thieves' stay in the bank remains uncertain.
In Germany, banks and official offices were closed on December 24-25-26 due to Christmas Eve and the holiday. December 27 and 28 also coincided with the weekend, resulting in a 5-day Christmas holiday.