A gang in Germany executed a daring heist by drilling through a wall to access a savings bank in Gelsenkirchen, making off with £25 million in cash and valuables. This burglary, reminiscent of the infamous Hatton Garden heist in London a decade ago, involved the thieves meticulously breaking into over 3,000 safe deposit boxes containing money, gold, and jewelry using a diamond-tipped tool.
The elaborate crime spanned several days over a bank holiday weekend, remaining unnoticed until a fire alarm was triggered in the early hours of Monday morning. Police likened the operation to a Hollywood heist movie, emphasizing the meticulous planning and execution involved.
The gang entered the bank through a hole in an adjacent indoor car park and made their escape in a stolen black Audi RS 6, leaving authorities with little leads to pursue. Despite the audacious nature of the crime, no arrests have been made as the criminals took advantage of the quiet Christmas period to carry out their meticulously planned operation.
Customers who stored their valuables in the targeted safe deposit boxes were left anxious and frustrated, with many demanding answers from the bank about the security breach. The incident has drawn comparisons to the Hatton Garden heist, where a similar group of elderly criminals conducted a high-profile burglary in London, resulting in significant losses for the victims.
The Hatton Garden gang, dubbed the “Diamond Wheezers,” had orchestrated a daring heist in Central London during the Easter bank holiday in 2015, using sophisticated tools to breach the vault and access safety deposit boxes. Several key members of the gang have since passed away, adding a sense of finality to the notorious crime that shocked the nation.