Germany's spectacular multimillion-euro heist nobody noticed
BBC World
February 15, 2026
AI-Generated Deep Dive Summary
Germany experienced an unprecedented bank heist in Gelsenkirchen, a quiet town in the western part of the country, where thieves made off with millions of euros by drilling through a bank wall using an industrial drill. The audacious robbery occurred between December 27 and 29, 2025, targeting a Sparkasse savings bank. Over 3,000 safe deposit boxes were emptied, with reports suggesting the stolen loot could be as high as €100 million. The incident has left both locals and authorities puzzled, raising questions about security lapses and institutional trust.
The thieves gained entry by breaching an escape door connecting a neighboring car park to the bank building. Police believe the gang tampered with this access point, allowing them unhindered entry into the bank’s basement. Once inside, they bypassed several security systems, setting up a powerful drill to create a 40cm-wide hole in the wall leading to the vault. The operation was meticulously timed, as evidenced by the bank's computer logs showing safe deposit boxes being accessed between 10:45 AM and 2:44 PM on December 27. Firefighters responded to an alarm triggered during this period but deemed it a false alarm after finding no signs of fire or smoke.
The heist has sparked widespread outrage, particularly among victims who lost life savings and precious family heirlooms. Authorities are struggling to piece together how the thieves avoided detection despite multiple clues
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Originally published on BBC World on 2/15/2026