Robbery at German Bank Causes 50.1 Billion Won in Damages—Thieves Break Through Wall, Loot 3,200 Vaults

According to Financial News, a robbery took place at a bank vault in Germany, where thieves broke in and stole approximately €30 million (about 50.1 billion won) in cash and valuables. The perpetrators reportedly used specialized equipment to breach the wall and ransacked thousands of individual safety deposit boxes.
On the 30th (local time), Deutsche Presse-Agentur (dpa) reported that robbers broke into the vault of a savings bank in the western German city of Gelsenkirchen, damaged around 3,200 personal safe deposit boxes, and fled with about €30 million in cash and valuables.
Local police explained that the criminals used specialized drills to penetrate the wall, entered the vault, broke open the personal safety deposit boxes, and made off with cash, gold, jewelry, and other valuables stored inside.
The crime was discovered when a fire alarm was triggered the morning after the incident.
The bank stated that 95% of customer safety deposit boxes were damaged and announced the establishment of a dedicated hotline for affected clients.
dpa reported that there are approximately 2,500 victims, and this may go down as one of the worst bank robberies in German history.
News of the break-in led to chaos as customers tried to enter the bank, prompting police to close the branch for safety reasons.
The bank explained that each safety deposit box is insured for up to €10,300 (approximately 17.5 million won), and affected customers will be notified individually in writing.
Investigators believe the suspects entered the building via the parking lot.
Police are investigating after receiving statements that several men carrying large bags were seen in a nearby parking lot between the night of the 28th and the early morning of the 29th.
Analysis of Closed-circuit television (CCTV) footage revealed that a black vehicle carrying masked passengers left the parking lot early on the 29th. The license plate on the vehicle was confirmed to have been stolen in Hanover, Germany.


hsg@fnnews.com Han Seung-gon Reporter