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Gelsenkirchen Bank Heist: Sparkasse Branch to Stay Shut for Weeks as 100-Officer Probe Expands

The case has shifted to painstaking evidence cataloguing under notarial oversight, with damage still estimated in the mid double‑digit millions.

Overview

  • The branch will remain closed for weeks, with only the self-service ATM area slated to reopen next week as officers sort and photograph tens of thousands of vault items under a notary’s supervision.
  • Police have scaled the special unit BAO Bohrer to about 100 officers working seven days a week, reporting no arrests yet and losses still pegged at a mid double‑digit million euro sum that may increase.
  • Investigators are examining why two fire-detector alerts on 27 and 29 December did not stop the break-in and why sensors missed the drilling, while also probing possible insider help after an internal door showed no forced entry.
  • Detectives searched Sparkasse offices to secure data carriers and customer records; the bank says it is cooperating but notes some requested video and lists required more time to compile.
  • Thousands of customers confront per-box insurance limits of roughly €10,300, and police warn of fraud attempts by callers posing as bank staff or officers seeking details from victims.