If Money Heist, Ocean’s 11 and Dhoom ever needed a European spin-off, this might be it.
While much of Germany was switched off for Christmas, a group of thieves quietly pulled off a meticulously planned bank break-in that has left customers furious, police scrambling — and pop culture comparisons flying. Using the festive lull as cover, the gang drilled through reinforced concrete to access thousands of safe deposit boxes at a branch of Sparkasse in Gelsenkirchen, making off with valuables estimated to be worth at least €10 million.
How the vault was breached
According to police, the perpetrators drilled through a thick concrete wall to gain access to the bank’s vault, targeting several thousand customer deposit boxes rather than cash counters — a choice that suggests planning rather than impulse.
The crime went unnoticed for days. Like many German institutions, the branch had been closed since the evening of December 24, part of the country’s near-total Christmas shutdown. It was only in the early hours of Monday, December 29, that authorities became aware something was wrong — when a fire alarm was triggered inside the building.
By then, the thieves were long gone.
Millions missing, answers scarce
Police said the stolen haul runs into double-digit millions of euros, including cash, jewellery and personal valuables stored by customers over decades.
On Tuesday, the mood outside the branch was anything but festive. Dozens of customers gathered, shouting “Let us in!” as frustration mounted over the lack of information.
One customer, visibly shaken, told Welt broadcaster: “I couldn’t sleep last night. We’re getting no information,” adding that he had used the safe for 25 years and that it contained his savings for old age.
Another man said he kept cash and jewellery for his family in his deposit box — now feared lost.
A spokesperson for Sparkasse in Gelsenkirchen did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
Witnesses, a luxury car and a cinematic escape
As investigators pieced together the timeline, witness accounts added a distinctly cinematic edge.
Several people reported seeing multiple men carrying large bags through the stairwell of an adjacent parking garage late on Saturday night. More intriguingly, there were sightings of a black Audi RS 6 leaving the garage early Monday morning, with masked men inside.
Police later confirmed the vehicle’s licence plate belonged to a car stolen in Hanover, over 200 kilometres away — a detail that would feel at home in Ocean’s 11 or Bunty aur Babli.
A festive crime with blockbuster energy
From drilling through walls to exploiting holiday closures, the operation echoes the precision glamour of Money Heist — minus the red jumpsuits and orchestral soundtrack. It also recalls the sleek getaway cars of Dhoom and the choreographed calm of Ocean’s 11, albeit with very real victims left in its wake.
Unlike the movies, however, there is no happy ending — at least not yet.
Investigation ongoing
Police say the investigation is continuing, with forensic teams analysing the scene and tracking the stolen vehicle’s movements across states. For now, customers remain locked out, anxious and angry, waiting for clarity about what — if anything — can be recovered.
