Europe rocked by another multi-million dollar heist

Criminals have escaped with $AUD52 million worth of cash, gold and jewellery from the vault of a German savings bank during the holiday season.

According to authorities in the city of Gelsenkirchen, the robbers drilled into the bank’s underground vault from a parking garage. Investigators believe the gang spent multiple days at the site, breaking open deposit boxes.

The heist reportedly involved the breach of more than 3,000 safety deposit boxes, with cash, gold, and jewellery stolen. The break-in was discovered after a fire alarm was triggered.

Witnesses observed several men carrying large bags in the parking garage stairwell overnight from Saturday to Sunday. A police spokesperson described the heist as very professionally executed and likened it to the film Ocean’s Eleven (1960).

“A great deal of prior knowledge and criminal energy must have been involved to plan and carry this out,” the spokesperson said.

Some victims reported losses exceeding their insurance coverage. The branch remains closed due to security concerns and threats against employees. That said, police stated that the situation has ‘calmed down considerably’ and that officers remain on site.