In the lull between Christmas and New Year’s Eve, while most of Germany was operating on holiday hours, a provincial bank branch became the scene of one of the country’s largest safety-deposit heists in recent memory.
The target was a Sparkasse branch in Gelsenkirchen, located at Nienhofstraße 1–5, in the North Rhine-Westphalia city roughly 190 kilometers northwest of Frankfurt. According to investigators, the break-in unfolded over several days, exploiting the extended holiday closure and the proximity of the Parkhaus Marientor parking garage on De-La-Chevallerie-Straße that is adjacent to the bank.
Police believe the team accessed the bank’s underground vault by drilling through a wall from inside the parking structure. Witnesses later told investigators they saw several men carrying large bags through the garage stairwell during the night between Saturday and Sunday.
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A fire alarm was triggered once over the weekend, but authorities initially found no visible damage. By early Monday morning, December 29, the a second alarm sounded and the scale of the operation became clear.
Shortly before 4 a.m., the second fire alarm summoned police and firefighters to the bank. Inside, officers discovered a hole in the vault wall and a ransacked deposit room. Roughly 3,000 safety deposit boxes—approximately 95 percent of the bank’s total—had been broken into, affecting 2,700 customers. Investigators believe the thieves spent much of the weekend inside the building, methodically opening boxes believed to contain cash, gold, and jewelry.
According to police spokesperson Thomas Nowaczyk, early estimates place the value of the stolen goods between €10 million and €90 million, a substantial range that reflects the uncertainty of value of the contents of the boxes. Notably, Sparkasse insures each box for €10,300 unless customers purchase additional coverage, far less than the estimate. Several victims have already told police their losses far exceed that amount.
On Tuesday, December 30, more than 200 customers gathered outside the closed branch demanding access. The bank remained shuttered not only because the vault had been compromised, but also due to reported threats against employees in the robbery’s aftermath. German news agency DPA describes the incident as potentially one of the largest bank heists in German history.
THE GETAWAY
The rest of what is known hinges largely on grainy surveillance footage.
Photos of security footage from the parking garage published by Germany’s BILD shows masked individuals exiting in a black Audi RS 6 Avant early Monday morning. The license plate—H-W 2242—was later matched to a vehicle reported stolen in Hanover, roughly 200 kilometers northeast of Gelsenkirchen.
Although the BILD-published stills are low resolution, several identifying details stand out. The taillight shape and mirrors mounted at the base of the A-pillar suggest it’s a C7-generation RS 6 Avant, produced between 2013 and 2018. The car also appears to be fitted with period OEM “Tarantula” wheels, which would further suggest it’s a C7.5 RS 6 performance models.
The C7.5 Audi RS 6 performance was be powered by Audi’s twin-turbo 4.0-liter V8, producing either 605 hp in performance trim, capable of 0–60 mph in 3.7 seconds and a top speed approaching 190 mph. Combined with quattro all-wheel drive and a cavernous cargo area, it is a near-ideal tool for rapid extraction.
Other notable details can be seen with the heist team themselves. One is clearly seen wearing an ASICS Fujitrail T-shirt was captured paying the parking fee—in coins—before calmly waving the RS 6 through the barrier.
Footage also shows a white Mercedes-Benz van, likely a Citan model, entering the garage after the RS 6 departed. According to BILD, the van entered and exited in roughly one minute, suggesting it was used to collect the bulk of the loot in a remarkably fast turnaround. A masked gang member was seen physically pushing open the toll arm both on entry and exit.
Much of the crew is believed to have escaped in the RS 6, with the van acting as a secondary logistics vehicle.
At the time of writing, the suspects remain at large. Police have appealed for witnesses to come forward at 0209 / 365-8112 or 0209 / 365-8240.